Ministry of Health and Labor safety

Hello all, bare with me here while i go on a rant...
instead of going into detail im going to give the short version.
Ive been working at my new workplace now for almost a year.
workplace deals with scrap of all kinds.
place got a new machine that results in mass amounts of dust and particles going in the air and in the building.
asked supervisors why theres so much dust and told that they dont think its that bad.
called ministry to complain early this year.
case is still open but machine has still been running.
called back 3 times never got a call back saying whats going on
called again finally talked to someone who basically said they dont have the hygienist results yet.
yet im still going to work everyday breathing this stuff in.
why would this take so long?
why is it that if i workplace has to do air quality tests they use a third party and the ministry is just sent information without even being present when the test is being conducted? how does the ministry know the test was conducted properly ?

who is above the ministry ? who else can i talk to about this cause clearly these guys arent doing anything about it.

I think you will quickly learn that nobody really cares about your safety but you, industry has money and generates money and you are just a cog in the machine.

They will likely tell you to wear a mask and that's about it. The more your rock the boat the more they will want to find a way to get rid of you.

This comes from 18 years of industrial/construction experience.

Get a new job if they care that little or take the onus on yourself and wear a respirator

Sometimes you have to take care of yourself if others won’t

The person above the ministry is YOU! Demand that they give you proper PPE or try to find a job at another scrap place as there are others around.

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Originally Posted by dean.f

I think you will quickly learn that nobody really cares about your safety but you, industry has money and generates money and you are just a cog in the machine.

They will likely tell you to wear a mask and that's about it. The more your rock the boat the more they will want to find a way to get rid of you.

This comes from 18 years of industrial/construction experience.

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x2 for this^^

I also worked construction when I was in university, my boss was old school, no safety at all, no tie-offs at height, no hard toe boots, no air masks. I just got another job and never looked back.

yup im at that point now. but i find it very shameful that this government has a ministry for this type of thing and its like they arent doing anything about anything? whats the point of this branch of ministry ?
i shouldnt have to find another job, i have the right to a safe and healthy workplace , if thats not the case report it to the ministry and something should be done about it. what a joke of a world we live in today by many standards, it blows me away. im in my late 20s and its just incredible.

What do you think the ministry should do for you? Have them scrap new machine? The fix they will give is to mask you up. Just wear a respirator or move on.

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Originally Posted by GuyJR

What do you think the ministry should do for you? Have them scrap new machine? The fix they will give is to mask you up. Just wear a respirator or move on.

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never said scrap the machine. they run different types of things in the machine thats inside the building. from straight copper to wire to aluminum to insulated wire. some of these things give off way more dust and harmful particles than others.

i would like them to test the air quality while these different things are running in the machine and see if its okay or not to breathe in all day ?
have you ever been in the vicinity of copper pipes being shredded? it doesn't just get in your nose and mouth. it burns your eyes and skin.

i dont think this machine should be situated inside.

they dump things from outside with a crane into the hopper that crushes and shreds everything and spits it out inside the building.

would like the ministry to do their job and give me an answer to the questions and issues ive raised.

They are busy investigating workplace deaths and dismemberment on a daily basis and don't have the resources to act as quickly as people may prefer. We are in a construction boom which ties up officers and and administrators.

Keep in mind you have the right to refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisal. If you can't resolve the issue after a work refusal, they will show up.

Have you checked what the safety regulations actually say? If they say filters are required then they would have to put them in.

Unless you die, nothing will get accomplished by the ministry. There’s a lot of back room dealings and exchanges that turn eyes blind. I’ve been complaining about porta potties at the jobsite for 25 years. I believe every site should have flushing toilets and running water. Air conditioned facilities in summer and heated in winter. It’s never gonna happen, not in my life time. Yet we can bring in those trailered bathrooms to the CNE or other big events, but not for the working stiff. The sanitary conditions of some of these units is deplorable and will never change.

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Unless you die, nothing will get accomplished by the ministry. There’s a lot of back room dealings and exchanges that turn eyes blind. I’ve been complaining about porta potties at the jobsite for 25 years. I believe every site should have flushing toilets and running water. Air conditioned facilities in summer and heated in winter. It’s never gonna happen, not in my life time. Yet we can bring in those trailered bathrooms to the CNE or other big events, but not for the working stiff. The sanitary conditions of some of these units is deplorable and will never change.

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Last inspector I spoke to told me that was there #1 complaint. That was the first thing he checked and the first order he made was a heated washroom then gave us his card and told all of us to call if it wasn't there the next day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Unless you die, nothing will get accomplished by the ministry. There’s a lot of back room dealings and exchanges that turn eyes blind. I’ve been complaining about porta potties at the jobsite for 25 years. I believe every site should have flushing toilets and running water. Air conditioned facilities in summer and heated in winter. It’s never gonna happen, not in my life time. Yet we can bring in those trailered bathrooms to the CNE or other big events, but not for the working stiff. The sanitary conditions of some of these units is deplorable and will never change.

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yup. maybe i should just drop to the floor one day and wait for the ambulance to come pick me up. maybe something will be done then lmfao.

Is there no Health and Safety Committee at your workplace ?

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

Hello all, bare with me here while i go on a rant...
instead of going into detail im going to give the short version.
Ive been working at my new workplace now for almost a year.
workplace deals with scrap of all kinds.
place got a new machine that results in mass amounts of dust and particles going in the air and in the building.
asked supervisors why theres so much dust and told that they dont think its that bad.
called ministry to complain early this year.
case is still open but machine has still been running.
called back 3 times never got a call back saying whats going on
called again finally talked to someone who basically said they dont have the hygienist results yet.
yet im still going to work everyday breathing this stuff in.
why would this take so long?
why is it that if i workplace has to do air quality tests they use a third party and the ministry is just sent information without even being present when the test is being conducted? how does the ministry know the test was conducted properly ?

who is above the ministry ? who else can i talk to about this cause clearly these guys arent doing anything about it.

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Originally Posted by longpointer

Is there no Health and Safety Committee at your workplace ?

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Non-union shop,right?

There should be regulations outlining worker's safety standards - there probably is at your place but someone is dropping the ball - if I were you I would wear a mask so that you don't breath in all that dust because it will eventually damage your lungs - I grew up in a coal mining town and remember seeing miners walking home - some had to walk up a hill and had to stop half way up because they couldn't get enough air in their lungs - this was caused by the dust in the mines - many eventually died from what they called black lung - your health is more important than a job - if the government cracks down on the operators of your work place you can rest sure that you will be looking for a new job - when they find out you are responsible

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

Non-union shop,right?

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yup non union. its a joke.

in the process of looking for a new job now.

and in the process of booking all my remaining vacation lol.

this past week theyve decided its a good idea to do construction in the receiving zone. this entails of guys jack hammering in the floor indoors. the dust from concrete spewing up, plus now theyve decided to grind copper again through the shredding machine. so im over this place. have been for a while. 0 respect for the workers. 100% taken advantage of.,

https://www.ontario.ca/document/guid...-safety-danger

It doesn't matter if the shop is union or non. A worker has the right to refuse unsafe work. THis would qualify as hazardous conditions.

look for a new job or get yourself N-95 and safety glasses.

Some options: go to your local MPP. If that doesn’t move the yardstick, then contact the leaders of the opposition parties… they love opportunities to embarrass the government.

Regarding health and safety committees… the requirements to have one depends on the size of the workforce. I’ve forgotten the rules since retiring but the info can easily be found online.

just an update. appreciate the responses.

i ended up going in an hour early on the monday cleaning out my locker and then walking up to one of the supervisors saying i quit lol.

my cousin got me a job helping out and learning drywall and drywall framing, much better atmosphere better $ and better future hopefully! thank you to all that contributed to this post. :)