Posts Tagged ‘compliance solutions canada’
The days of a “slap on the wrist” are a thing of the past with seven figure penalties being assessed even against companies that inadvertently contribute to water pollution.
- By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada – A Nimonik affiliate
Along with acting against other pollution issues, the federal and provincial governments are cracking down on water contamination caused by industrial, agricultural and municipal sources. Not only is Ottawa pouring more money into dealing with water pollution, it’s nearly doubling the number of inspectors and enforcement officers to more than 320.
Unlike water itself, it is increasingly difficult for businesses to drip through the cracks as anti-pollution laws and regulations covering water get tougher – and fines get steeper. The days of a “slap on the wrist” are a thing of the past with seven figure penalties being assessed even against companies that inadvertently contribute to water pollution.
It’s happening because environmental experts agree that the best way to tackle pollution is through something called “polluter pays.”
Basically, this means that whoever causes pollution pays for the clean up, in numerous ways:
- Tanker owners must buy insurance covering the cost of any oil spill cleanup.
- Factories using rivers must have water inlet pipes downstream of their effluent outflow pipes, so if they cause pollution they are the first to suffer.
- Even shoppers pay, being charged for plastic grocery bags – now required in Toronto – to encourage recycling and minimize waste.
Ultimately, polluter pays is designed to deter people from polluting by making it less expensive for them to be green. Continue Reading Here.
While it’s impossible to make a factory blasting at full output TV studio quiet, steps can be taken to reduce noise as much as possible – which translates into high productivity and fewer worker’s comp claims for hearing loss. – By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada – A Nimonik Affiliate
In a world where workplace and outside noise can seem like an unyielding din, it is easy to take hearing for granted. Moreover, symptoms of hearing loss can be overlooked since they appear gradually and are seldom associated with pain. As a result, increasing deafness remains unnoticed often for years until it’s too late.
In fact, among all occupational hazards, noise is the biggest cause of permanent disability claims settled by Ontario’s Worker’s Compensation Board. According to WSIB, hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels resulted in roughly $100-million in claims paid out over a recent 10 year period.
As a result, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour introduced strict limits for workplace noise exposure. Among other things, the government reduced the allowable exposure time to noise by workers in half. The Environment Ministry deals with preventing excessive noise in Ontario, and sounds produced by human activity is controlled by the laws in the Ontario Environmental Protection Act (EPA), which holds that noise is a contaminant with adverse effects on workers.
Why? Because researchers proved that an individual exposed to 85dba for eight hours a day, week after week, will suffer hearing loss. The louder the sound, the less time it takes. Thus, the noisier the workplace, the fewer exposures and time it takes to produce significant – and, for employers, costly – hearing loss.
Institutional practices waste far more water than other countries thanks to a series of bad choices. As important as is conserving water, a sound water use policy brings significant savings.
– By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada – A Nimonik Affiliate Partner
When you think of it, no one should really be surprised that hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and other health care providers are among the country’s largest users of water.
Beyond the obvious such as a significant number of people simply drinking water there is – hopefully – frequent hand washing by doctors, nurses and other employees, washing enormous quantities of bed linens and patient gowns or pyjamas every day as well as cleaning floors, walls and rooms in large buildings, preparing meals and cleaning dishes, and using water in various lab tests and other procedures.
With the garbage crisis in Toronto, we think these ideas from our friend Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada are particularly useful, be sure to visit his site for help with managing your environmental risks.
The more a business reduces, reuses and recycles, the less waste it needs to dispose. The less waste, the fewer bins or pickups are required and disposal fees drop. Anything that lowers operating costs adds to the bottom line.
By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada
Not long ago, a 70-year old Ontario hospital was to be razed – right down to the footings and foundation – before being rebuilt. A simple job except the hospital told the contractor that at least 50% of the material had to go somewhere other than a landfill.
Once hazardous material was removed, the demolition contractor physically inspected the property, prioritizing and marking items for reuse. A detailed waste management plan identified a schedule of activities and workers were instructed in proper techniques and workmanship. Materials were handled carefully, maximizing reuse and recycling opportunities.
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– by Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada
Buoyed by tougher rules and armed with more enforcement money from the Ontario Parliament, environmental regulators are hitting the road – literally. The ministry says it is getting stricter about damage caused by trucks, buses and other forms of transport if they pollute the environment, even accidentally.
While the vast majority of companies do their best to meet environmental standards at the plant, many forget that their liability remains while it is being transported to a customer, along with the transporting company. Indeed, the MoE is now co-operating with provincial and local police to enforce a trucker’s requirement to deal with spills and other contamination while on the road.
What this means is that a spill hundreds of miles from a plant that occurs while a product or industrial waste is en route to its destination could result in the manufacturer facing fines and other sanctions.
