A new regulation will require health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The regulation comes into force July 1, 2014. This includes all farms with paid employees.
One way to complete the new health and safety awareness training will be for workers and supervisors to take part in a one-hour tutorial either individually or in groups using free, online e-learning tools or hard copy workbooks. The training is designed to help prevent workplace incidents and injuries by making workers and supervisors aware of their roles, rights and responsibilities in the workplace.
Workplaces that have provided similar training to employees will not need to participate, as long as the previous training met the minimum requirements of the new regulation.
New and young workers are three times more likely to be injured in the first month of their employment than more experienced workers.
Training materials are available at: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/training/index.php
- Once the e-learning training module is complete, an employee will receive a certificate that is valid for the remainder of his or her career.
- The printed training materials are available in nine languages.
- You do not have to report the training to the Ministry, but you must maintain a record of completion for all of your workers and supervisors and be able to present it should a ministry inspector visit your farm or workplace. A record of completion can be as simple as your employee signing and dating their workbook.