Westray Bill Impacts Canadian Workplaces

In our January Employee and Labour Relations bulletin, we reported important amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada that will significantly impact all Canadian workplaces.

Bill C-45, also known as the Westray Bill in honour of the deadly explosion at the Westray mine in Plymouth, Nova Scotia in 1992 that prompted legislators to review occupational health and safety law, comes into force on March 31, 2004. As of that date, the level of liability and scope of individuals who may be held legally responsible for occupational health and safety violations in the workplace significantly increases. Section 217.1 of the amended Criminal Code of Canada dictates:

217.1 Every one who undertakes, or has the authority, to direct how another person does work or...