Ontario Safety Training available online

Time is running out for Ontario workers and workplace supervisors to comply with a new regulation under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The new regulation requires updated health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor by July 1, 2014.

The training explains the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and focuses on the health and safety rights and responsibilities of workers, supervisors and employers. It also serves as a general introduction to workplace health and safety.

Those who complete the training will receive a certificate that will serve as proof of compliance. The Ministry of Labour does not store certificates, or keep records of who has taken the training. It is up to individuals to keep the certificates for their records.

The supervisor course can be taken online as an eLearning module.  An equivalent course for employees is also available online. This online learning module takes 45 – 60 minutes to complete.

Some industry groups in Ontario have arranged in-class training. Such was the case in Burlington, Ont., last night when the Hamilton, Ont.-based Collision Industry Information Association, held an information evening that featured the safety training.

Kristin Hoffman, a consultant with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, led the supervisor’s course for dozens of local collision shop owners.

Also on the agenda at last night’s event was an update from the Ontario College of Trades, which explained its mandate to regulate skilled trades in the province, and the progress it has made toward achieving that objective.