and Safety in the workplace, a “glaring
omission”, and upon further investigation,
the OGCA discovered those making the
laws didn’t realise construction is not cov-
ered under health and safety regulations
as a dangerous occupation (the way min-
ing and diving is, for example). “We aren’t
in there—it was very disappointing to find
they thought we were. So nowwe are now
working on that,” says Thurston.
“What we are asking is how do we main-
tain our legal obligation to maintain health
and safety on our sites? If they won’t give
us our tools—up to now the courts have
been very reluctant to give any employer
the right to test people randomly or other-
wise—people are going to die.”
The OGCA has paid close attention to the
TTC’s recent court victory in which theTTC
obtained the right to administer random al-
cohol and drug testing despite strong re-
sistance from the union representation,
and once implemented, delivered immedi-
ate results.
QRCW Office Tower Formwork Proceeding
NOVEMBER 2017
H
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