CASE STUDY: ROOF DANGER

Did you know? Home owners can be held legally responsible for the safety of workers? 

A recent news story has indicated that Gordon Campbell was held responsible for the death of a workman who fell through his skylight. 

Unfortunately this scenario is not uncommon, people often hire contractors to work on their home while being blissfully unaware of their legal responsibilities. Home owners should know that if a worker is injured/killed while working on your roof or anywhere else on your property, you may be held legally responsible for their injuries or death. 

To avoid liability you must have a legal contract, stating who is the primary contractor (responsible for coordinating and enforcing Worksafe BC regulations with all sub-contractors). Otherwise the home owner is considered the primary contractor by default. Therefore, I strongly...

Ottawa, Ontario - The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent.

The profile for global economic growth has improved since the Bank released its January Monetary Policy Report (MPR). Europe is expected to emerge slowly from recession in the second half of 2012, although the risks around this outlook remain high.  The profile for U.S. growth is slightly stronger, reflecting the balance of somewhat improved labour markets, financial conditions and confidence on the one hand, and emerging fiscal consolidation and ongoing household deleveraging on the other.  Economic activity in emerging-market economies is expected to moderate to a still-robust pace over the projection horizon, supported by an easing of macroeconomic policies. &nb...