The REGIONAL
Health & Safety News, Events & Information
May 2009
The Regional is OSSA's monthly online update. This e-newsletter is focused on providing your business with up-to-date information on developments within the prevention system in Ontario as well as keeping you abreast with critical issues around workplace health & safety.
Health & Safety News
At time of writing, the World Health Organization had raised its influenza pandemic alert level from Phase 4 to Phase 5, and had asked all countries to immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans.
If your firm does not have a pandemic preparedness plan in place, there's still time, but you need to act swiftly. We can help.
Here is what you need to know to develop a plan and source up-to-date, current information on pandemic planning and on the current knowledge and thinking around prevention and workplace health and safety.
In an attempt to close any loopholes that compromise accountability and fairness, the WSIB announced in March 2008 that it would conduct a review to improve its experience rating program—the program that rewards employers with rebates, or penalizes them with surcharges, according to their health and safety performance based on their claims costs. If the recommendations of actuarial consulting company Morneau Sobeco are approved, they will result in sweeping changes for Ontario employers, in a way that will personally affect CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives.
Click here for the complete story.
New and young workers are most likely to get hurt during the first four weeks of starting a job. Which is why the Ontario Ministry of Labour is set to conduct inspection blitzes on workplaces employing new and young workers starting June 2009. Inspectors will expect to be shown evidence that young workers have been provided with adequate orientation and training on performing tasks such as the operation of forklifts and other machinery. In addition, Inspectors will be looking for evidence that proper training has been provided on preventive measures around hazards like musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), hazardous material at the workplace, and slips, trips & falls.
In a similar blitz performed throughout Ontario in the service and manufacturing sectors last June the Ministry’s inspectors focused on young and new workers aged 15 to 24 years and new workers aged 25 and older who had been on the job less than six months or who had been reassigned to a new job. Around 833 workplaces were visited and 3371 safety-related orders were issued; 75 of which were stop-work orders.
In addition to the June inspection blitz the Ministry will be conducting blitzes on Falls in September 2009, Hazardous Materials in November 2009 and Forklifts in February 2010.
With over 3.3 million workers representing 51 percent of Ontario’s workforce, the service sector has the distinction of employing the largest number of young workers. The OSSA has experience with working with the service sector and is ideally placed to assist firms in preparing for the upcoming blitzes. OSSA’s ‘Dare to Care Program’ is a valuable resource employers can use to train managers and supervisors in ‘soft-skill’ communication training around engaging young workers in health & safety issues and as a health & safety orientation training course for new and young workers.
Contact OSSA for assistance with training young workers at 1-888-478-6772 or get more information at www.ossa.com
Click here for details on course venue and pricing.
To register for any of the courses, please call OSSA at 1-888-478-6772.
Course Title |
City |
Date |
| Certification Part 2 - Retail & Wholesale | W. Toronto / Mississauga | May 7, June 18 |
| Safety in Motion: An Intro to MSDs | W. Toronto / Mississauga | May 11 |
| Certification Part 1 | W. Toronto / Mississauga | May 11-13, May 25-27, June 8-10 June 22-24 |
| Risk Assessment | Toronto | May 12 |
| Certification Part 2 | Toronto | May 14 |
| Certification Part 2 - Off. & Related | W. Toronto / Mississauga | May 21 |
| Safe Lifting - Employees / Supervisors | W. Toronto / Mississauga | May 28 |
| Certification Part 2 - Vehicle sales & service | W. Toronto / Mississauga | June 4 |
| Hazard & Compliance Assessment | Toronto | June 9 |
| Certification Part 2 - Tourism & Hospitality | W. Toronto / Mississauga | June 11 |
| Certification Part 1 | Scarborough | June 17-19 |
| Applying MSD Prevention Guidelines | W. Toronto / Mississauga | June 24 |
Golden Horseshoe Region
Course Title |
City |
Date |
| Certification Part 2 | Burlington | May 5 |
| Certification Part 1 | Welland | May 11-13 |
| Risk Assessment | Burlington | May 20 |
| Safety in Motion: An Intro to MSDs | Grimsby | May 27 |
| Risk Assessment | Welland | June 3 |
| Hazard & Compliance Assessment | Burlington | June 10 |
| Hazard & Compliance Assessment | Welland | June 17 |
| Safe Lifting - Employees / Supervisors | Grimsby | June 18 |
South & Western Ontario
Course Title |
City |
Date |
| Certification Part 2 | London | May 12, June 23 |
| Certificatiion Part 2 | Windsor | May 12, June 23 |
| Certification Part 1 | Owen Sound | May 12-14 |
| Certification Part 1 | Sarnia | May 26, June 2 and June 9 |
| Hazard Assessment | Windsor | June 29 |
| Risk Assessment | Windsor | June 2 |
| Safety Group | London | June 3 |
| Certification Part 1 | London | June 8-10 |
| Compliance Assessment | Windsor | June 18 |
| Certification Part 2 | Owen Sound | June 16 |
| Compliance Assessment | London | June 17 |
| Certification Part 1 | Kitchener | June 22-24 |
Central Ontario
Course Title |
City |
Date |
| Certification Part 2 | Barrie | June 2 |
North & Eastern Ontario
Course Title |
City |
Date |
| Certification Part 1 | Sudbury | June 1-3 |
| Risk Assessment | Ottawa | June 9 |
| Safety in Motion: An Intro to MSDs | Ottawa | June 9 |
| Safe Lifting - Employees / Supervisors | Ottawa | May 12 , June 24 |
| Certification Part 1 | North Bay | May 25-27 |
| Risk Assessment | Sudbury | May 29 |
| Certification Part 2 | North Bay | June 9 |
| Certification Part 1 | Ottawa | June 10-12 |
| Hazard & Compliance Assessment | Sudbury | June 11 |
| Certification Part 2 | Sudbury | June 16 |
| Hazard & Compliance Assessment | Ottawa | June 22 |
| Applying MSD Prevention Guidelines | Ottawa | June 24 |
Click here for details on course venue and pricing.
To register for any of the above courses, please call OSSA at 1-888-478-6772.
Click here to know more about OSSA's health and safety products. Call our client services line at 1-888-478-6772 to order products or for more information on our products and services.
This glossary provides a quick reference to common health and safety terms used throughout the Six Step Guide to Health and Safety.
You should always tape down electrical cords if there is a possibility of someone walking over the cord. This will minimize the possibility of someone tripping. Refer to OSSA Safety Check Sheet on Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls for more information.