Workplace inspections out of sync - Special investigation finds Workers' Comp and Occupation Health inspectors overlook non-traditional occupational risks. - by David McKie, Straight Goods, Canada
In some provinces, claims to workers' compensation boards in workplaces that have traditionally been subject to safety inspections - such as construction, manufacturing, mining and forestry are just as common as claims in workplaces that haven't been traditionally inspected such as health care, education and office environments.
Even so, visits from inspectors were up to 10 times more frequent in traditional workplaces than in non-traditional ones.
The problem is more severe in the health care field. Not only are health care workers facing an ever-increasing threat of violence, but the agencies responsible for regulating safety in hospitals are not doing their job.