[Tricks]

The company I work for isn't exactly the best, and I recently raised a safety concern over the use of ladders and lifting (they're essentially asking us to life 40-50 pound cases on a ladder over our head). This wasn't an issue before because we had the cases stacked a certain way, and we were told to change how they're stacked so this issue has arised. I sent an email raising the safety concern to the merchandising manager of the company, who sent down the instruction to change how these cases are stacked. I informed them of the potential hazards, including a link the the Ministry of Labour's ladder usage recommendations. One of my coworkers witnessed them sarcastically brush it off. Safe to say they're going to ignore the issue.

What do I do now?

[raydan]

Depends on how bad you want to keep that job.

[Hyack]

Get in touch with your local Workers' Compensation Board, just give them a phone call, it worked for me on numerous occasions.

[raydan]

We have "La Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec" (Workplace health and security commission), must be something equivalent in BC.

[Hyack]

raydan raydan:

We have "La Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec" (Workplace health and security commission), must be something equivalent in BC.

Same place, different name.

[Zipperfish]

It's WorkSafe in BC. Yeah, call them. Sounds like you work for doofuses. They might even have a history. If it's union, bring it up there too.

[BeaverFever]

From Worksafe BC:

$1:

Refusal of Unsafe Work

3.12 Procedure for refusal
(1) A person must not carry out or cause to be carried out any work process or operate or cause to be operated any tool, appliance or equipment if that person has reasonable cause to believe that to do so would create an undue hazard to the health and safety of any person.

(2) A worker who refuses to carry out a work process or operate a tool, appliance or equipment pursuant to subsection (1) must immediately report the circumstances of the unsafe condition to his or her supervisor or employer.

(3) A supervisor or employer receiving a report made under subsection (2) must immediately investigate the matter and

(a) ensure that any unsafe condition is remedied without delay, or

(b) if in his or her opinion the report is not valid, must so inform the person who made the report.

(4) If the procedure under subsection (3) does not resolve the matter and the worker continues to refuse to carry out the work process or operate the tool, appliance or equipment, the supervisor or employer must investigate the matter in the presence of the worker who made the report and in the presence of

(a) a worker member of the joint committee,

(b) a worker who is selected by a trade union representing the worker, or

(c) if there is no joint committee or the worker is not represented by a trade union, any other reasonably available worker selected by the worker.

(5) If the investigation under subsection (4) does not resolve the matter and the worker continues to refuse to carry out the work process or operate the tool, appliance or equipment, both the supervisor, or the employer, and the worker must immediately notify an officer, who must investigate the matter without undue delay and issue whatever orders are deemed necessary.

3.13 No discriminatory action
(1) A worker must not be subject to discriminatory action as defined in section 150 of Part 3 of the Workers Compensation Act because the worker has acted in compliance with section 3.12 or with an order made by an officer.

(2) Temporary assignment to alternative work at no loss in pay to the worker until the matter in section 3.12 is resolved is deemed not to constitute discriminatory action.

Note: The prohibition against discriminatory action is established in the Workers Compensation Act Part 3, Division 6, sections 150 through 153.

http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications ... umber:3.12

[Tricks]

I don't work in BC...

I'll try to find the Ontario equivalent.

Refusing unsafe work won't solve the issue, cause everyone else I work with wont refuse it. I'm not only trying to protect myself, it's too easy to fall off that ladder or flat out strain yourself because of how awkward it is. I don't want to see anyone hurt.

[Hyack]

Tricks Tricks:

I don't work in BC...

I'll try to find the Ontario equivalent.

Refusing unsafe work won't solve the issue, cause everyone else I work with wont refuse it. I'm not only trying to protect myself, it's too easy to fall off that ladder or flat out strain yourself because of how awkward it is. I don't want to see anyone hurt.

Here you go....

http://www.wsib.on.ca/en/community/WSIB

Just give them a call, if they are anything like the people I've dealt with there will be an inspector there by tomorrow at the latest.

[Brenda]

I am wondering why they went from a fairly safe way of stacking to a more unsafe way? Is there a big pro to doing it this way?

[OnTheIce]

Brenda Brenda:

I am wondering why they went from a fairly safe way of stacking to a more unsafe way? Is there a big pro to doing it this way?

Probably cheaper.....

[Unsound]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Brenda Brenda:

I am wondering why they went from a fairly safe way of stacking to a more unsafe way? Is there a big pro to doing it this way?

Probably cheaper.....

or a manager decided to do it that way not realising it wouldn't work well, and now they won't admit they made a mistake.

[BartSimpson]

Too bad there's no such rules about soldiers refusing unsafe work conditions.

[Brenda]

Unsound Unsound:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Brenda Brenda:

I am wondering why they went from a fairly safe way of stacking to a more unsafe way? Is there a big pro to doing it this way?

Probably cheaper.....

or a manager decided to do it that way not realising it wouldn't work well, and now they won't admit they made a mistake.

That's my thought as well.
Why not talk to the people who actually have to do the work, and ask them what they think and go look for a cheaper solution from there?
Or does 'teamwork' only exist at their own level?

[Tricks]

Brenda Brenda:

I am wondering why they went from a fairly safe way of stacking to a more unsafe way? Is there a big pro to doing it this way?

Cause some idiots at another store decided to stack cases vertically 2 or 3 high, so they fell over. Now they're horizontal. When they were vertical, and one high, we could pull them down and put them up from the floor, but horizontally we need to get a ladder as they're stacked 2-3 high.

Essentially, because of a problem at another store that is just a "don't do that" situation, they completely alter every store as a knee jerk reaction.