Canadian Occupational Safety

Clash titans Clash ulbir Singh is a highly trained engineer from India. He has lived in Canada since 1999 and his bachelor of engineering as well as his master's in personnel manage- ment and industrial relations have passed Canadian equivalency. He has several safety "tickets" under his belt including safety orientation from the Oil Sands Safety Association, the Construction Safety Training System from the Alberta Construction Safety Association and forklift training from Hertz Equipment Rental. But when he tried to get a job in the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alta., he was unable to fi nd employment due to his inability to wear a hard hat. Singh is a practising Sikh and one of the requirements of the faith is the wearing of a turban. "I gathered that the hard hat is going to be an issue wherever I go for interviews," he said. "I always asked the same question, 'What about if I have to wear a hard hat?' and they said 'Yes, you will have to wear it when you go on the site.' I felt highly discouraged and disappointed. I could see everybody else working and just myself, because of my resolve not to wear a hard hat with my turban, I was not accepted there." Singh wrote a letter to the OHS Division of the Alberta government about his inability to fi nd suitable work due to his religious beliefs. An MP responded to him explaining it is the employer's duty to keep workers safe and suggesting Singh wear a smaller turban underneath his hard hat. Unfortunately, wearing a hat on top of a turban is against the Sikh religion and not something Singh is willing to do. There are half-a-million Sikhs in Canada, many of whom are experiencing similar problems as Singh. Some have chosen to go against their religion and wear the turban only in their personal lives, replacing it with a hard hat while at work, for the sake of their own jobs. This issue is a perfect example of human rights clashing with occupational health and safety, which regularly occurs in a variety of different ways in workplaces all across Canada. HARD HATS VS. TURBANS In March, the United Kingdom passed an amendment to the Employment Act so that turban-wearing Sikhs in any industry (except for specifi c roles in the armed forces and emergency response situations) will be exempt from the need to wear head protection. Previously, this option was available for workers in the construction industry, which has been allowed since April 2014. There are three- quarters of a million Sikh members in the U.K. One reason for this change was members of the Sikh community had faced of the titans K ulbir Singh is a highly trained engineer from India. He has lived in Canada since K ulbir Singh is a highly trained engineer from India. He has lived in Canada since 1999 and his bachelor of engineering as well as his master's in personnel manage- K 1999 and his bachelor of engineering as well as his master's in personnel manage- ment and industrial relations have passed Canadian equivalency. He has several K ment and industrial relations have passed Canadian equivalency. He has several safety "tickets" under his belt including safety orientation from the Oil Sands K safety "tickets" under his belt including safety orientation from the Oil Sands Safety Association, the Construction Safety Training System from the Alberta K Safety Association, the Construction Safety Training System from the Alberta Construction Safety Association and forklift training from Hertz Equipment K Construction Safety Association and forklift training from Hertz Equipment Rental. But when he tried to get a job in the oil sands in Fort McMurray, K Rental. But when he tried to get a job in the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alta., he was unable to fi nd employment due to his inability to wear a K Alta., he was unable to fi nd employment due to his inability to wear a hard hat. Singh is a practising Sikh and one of the requirements of the K hard hat. Singh is a practising Sikh and one of the requirements of the faith is the wearing of a turban. K faith is the wearing of a turban. By Amanda Silliker

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