Quick Ministry of Labour Prevention Office Update for Stakeholders on New Mandatory OHS Awareness Training
Ministry of Labour‘s Prevention Office Communiqué to Stakeholders:
NEW Mandatory Occupational Health and Safety Awareness Training
On November 15 the new Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O.Reg.297/13) was announced. This regulation will come into force on July 1, 2014.
The regulation lays out mandatory training for workers and supervisors, and
- Requires that employers ensure that workers complete the training program as soon as possible and supervisors complete the training within one week of performing work as a supervisor
- Sets out the minimum content requirements of both the worker and supervisor awareness training programs
- Requires employers to maintain a record of training, and provide workers and supervisors with proof of completion of the training, on request, for up to six months after the worker or supervisor stops performing work for that employer
- Allows the proof of training to be carried forward to future employers
- Sets limited exemptions for workers and supervisors who have previously completed training programs
This regulation addresses two of the key recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety, led by Tony Dean in 2010.
Complying with this new regulation can be done in one of two ways:
New health and safety awareness training for workers and supervisors is available through the Ministry of Labour. It is a free one hour tutorial either using free online e-learning tools or hard copy workbooks. These were developed by the ministry in partnership with labour groups, employers, and municipalities.
Some organizations can use their own current training programs but will need to ensure that it covers the necessary content. A support tool for employers is currently under development. It will provide employers with a “program comparison chart.” We will be releasing this and other support tools in early 2014. In the meantime, the minimum content requirements for the worker and supervisor programs are below:
For the Worker Training
- Duties and rights of workers
- Duties of employers and supervisors
- Roles of joint health and safety committees/health and safety representatives
- Roles of the MOL, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and designated entities
- Common workplace hazards; Requirements set out in WHMIS
- Occupational illness and effects over time
For the Supervisor Training
- Duties and rights of workers
- Duties of employers and supervisors
- Roles of joint health and safety committees/health and safety representatives
- Roles of the MOL, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and designated entities
- How to recognize, assess, and control workplace hazards and how to evaluate those controls
- Where to find additional sources of health and safety information