Workers Health & Safety Centre

COVID-19 and criminal negligence explored in WHSC webinar


One worker killed and another in a medically induced comma as a result of COVID-19 exposures in an Alberta meat packing plant – this after weeks of calls for better precautions.
 
In response Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is demanding among other steps, the government open a criminal investigation of the circumstances that resulted in the meat packing worker death.
 
But what is the law that supports such an investigation? And what has been the outcome of other similar investigations? This is the subject of the webinar video posted here, one in a series of COVID-19 webinars hosted by the Workers Health & Safety Centre.

Details of the Alberta tragedy

The meat packing worker who died is reported as being in her 60s. The other, gravely ill worker is reported as being in his 50s. Their names have not been released.
 
As early as April 1st, one news outlet reported union demands for employers to increase the space between each employee’s work area at the Alberta meat packing plant, even if line speeds drop. “We’re calling on all these employers to look themselves in the mirror and say no matter what happens we did everything we could to keep food on the table and everyone safe,” said Thomas Hesse, president of United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 401, with 32,000 members in Alberta, mostly in food processing and retailing.
 
Health and safety inspections at the plant were conducted by smart phone concluding the meat packing plant was safe to remain open, days after dozens of COVID-19 cases were confirmed.
 
As of yesterday, another news outlet reported a total of 1,084 cases of COVID-19 linked to the meat-packing plant and 710 workers testing positive for COVID-19. Those cases we are told represent nearly a quarter of all cases in Alberta.
 
Thomas Hesse is now repeating his demands for better measures to safeguard members of his union, including immediate closures of workplaces that experience COVID-19 outbreaks, much needed social (physical) distancing measures and “unannounced daily spot checks” by health and safety inspections.

WHSC virtual training & COVID-19 docs

After watching this webinar be sure to share it. You many also want to down the PowerPoint developed in support of this webinar.
 
WHSC webinars, our virtual training classrooms and many COVID-19 resources are made available during these unprecedented and challenging times to help ensure workers, supervisors, joint health and safety committee members and others have access to a trusted source of training and information. Register today for any one of a growing list of WHSC virtual training classrooms. 

Follow us too on social media sites including TwitterFacebookYouTube and LinkedIn. There we share important news and insights.

WHSC role

As Ontario’s only designated health and safety training centre, WHSC supports workers, their representatives, supervisors, contractors and employers in every work sector with comprehensive training programs and information services. In all we do, we put workers first.  After all, it is their lives and livelihoods that are affected most when workplace hazards, including the COVID-19 virus go uncontrolled.

To learn more: 
Visit: www.whsc.on.ca
Call: 1-888-869-7950
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca