Workplace training standards are developed from the activities defined in occupational standards, and they include learning objectives to ensure that the necessary skills and knowledge are developed by a person to enable him or her to function at occupation with achieving a level of competency.
The meaning of competency is simple. A person found to be competent must have knowledge, experience and training, knowledge of current and updated policies, procedures, legislation and regulations pertaining to the work they do, and be able to identify all hazards associated with the work they perform.
Competency vs Competent can be defined as though both having similar meanings, competence and competency are used in different contexts. Competence refers to a person’s ability or skills and knowledge that he or she possesses. Competencies of a job refer to description of how things have to be done, how they need to be completed safely.
Trainers are to develop a hazard control program which consists of all steps necessary to protect workers from exposure to a substance or system, the training and the procedures required to monitor worker exposure and their health to hazards such as chemicals, materials or substance, or other types of hazards such as noise and vibration.
When a worker is expected to perform their duties and responsibilities in a safe and healthy manner, the employer needs to ensure proper training is being conducted. The employer is responsible to hire or contract a training facilitator that is competent, is in possession of a designation providing authorization to train, as well as being held accountable for their training program.
Instructors that provide inadequate training which does not meet or exceed the training requirements, are known as incompetent. Not only are instructors cheating the participants out of knowledge and training. They are not providing the participants the ability to identify hazards. These hazards if left unidentified through inadequate and substandard training, could result in a critical injury, or even a life threatening event.
Participants and employers that are dependent on these competent instructors, must ensure that the instructor is in fact also trained to perform the scope of work being instructed. They must also have proof of competent training themselves.
Employee training and development is a broad term covering multiple kinds of employee learning. Training is a program that helps employees learn specific knowledge or skills to improve performance in their current roles. The instructor has the most responsibility verifying that the participant is knowledgeable.
A professional instructor will be liable for the information and training provided throughout the term of the certification provided. The employer needs to determine if the instructor is in fact prepared to take on this liability.
Ensure that your workers, sub – contractors, are being trained with the most up to date program, ask the instructor to provide a detailed summary of the program, and the ask if they will be liable for the training delivered. If they answer yes to the above, you have a competent instructor. If they answer no to any of the above, then you need not bother asking them to provide the training. They are not competent and will increase your liability.
In the 2017 year, there was a total of 22 reported workplace fatalities in Ontario which is almost double the fatality rate of 13 in 2016.
So far in 2018, the fatality rates are also not off to such a great start. From January 1-June 15, 2018 there have been 11 recorded fatalities in Ontario, which is a rise from the 7 recorded for the same time period of the previous year.
A continuing trend seen in these statistics is the amount of fatalities due to falls from height. In 2017, 7 of the 22 recorded fatalities were due to falls from heights; while in 2018, 8 of the 11 fatalities were due to falls from heights… that’s a whopping 72% of the total recorded fatalities for the first 6 months of 2018.
Falls from heights continues to be the leading cause of fatalities and critical injuries in the construction industry in addition to being the #1 Health and Safety Violation in Construction, as reported by the Ministry of Labour. In 2017, the M.O.L issued 8,850 violations for fall protection with 7,438 for the lack of PPE and 4,224 for improper use/maintenance of ladders or scaffolding.
In the July 2018 M.O.L Report to the Labour Management Network, the current data for workplace critical injuries and fatalities are posted. The total year-to-date critical injuries are at 79, which is a decrease from 100 at the same time in 2017.
Workplace place accidents are preventable, however it requires commitment from all workplace parties.
Employers must ensure that workers are adequately trained on how to perform their jobs safely and in accordance with regulations, that all equipment, devices and materials are maintained in good working order and used in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines. Most importantly, that employers are taking every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of the workers.
Supervisors must do the same, ensure that all workers work in compliance with the Act and regulations, equipment is used and worn properly, workers are provided with the information on any potential and existing hazards in the workplace and every precaution reasonable is taken in the circumstances for the protection of the workers.
Workers must work in compliance, inspect and use their equipment properly, report any unsafe conditions/acts, injuries and near-miss incidents and exercise their three basic rights.
The common mindset of “it won’t happen to me” will not make you immune from the risk of an injury or fatality. Just because it hasn’t happened yet, does not mean it won’t happen in the future.
The most important job, is ensuring you arrive home at the end of each day- safe and sound.
As of April 1, 2015, employers must ensure that certain workers complete a working at heights training program that has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) and delivered by a CPO approved training provider before they can work at heights.
The training requirement is for workers on construction projects who use any of the following methods of fall protection: travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets and work belts or safety belts.
There is a two-year transition period for workers who, prior to April 1, 2015, met the fall protection training requirements set out in subsection 26.2(1) of the Construction Projects Regulation. These workers will have until April 1, 2017 to complete an approved working at heights training program.
This training requirement is in the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation, and is in addition to training requirements under the Construction Regulation.
Homeowners
Depending on the circumstances, homeowners may be considered constructors and subject to obligations under Occupational Health and Safety Act if they hire multiple contractors to work at the same time.
It is in a homeowner’s best interest to make sure workers at their home are safe. This can be as simple as asking contractors if their workers have been trained, and how they plan to keep workers safe on site, before signing a contract.
In the case of projects where workers will be at heights, such as repairing a roof, homeowners should ask contractors if their workers have been trained to do the work safely.
Working at Heights Standards where released on April 1, 2015 due to a fatal accident that claimed the lives of four workers and severely injuring the fifth worker on December 24, 2009. The workers were employed with Metron Construction Corporation of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
According to the Ontario Supreme Court Judge Ian MacDonnell, Vadim Kazenelson was aware the fall protection procedures where not in place and he allowed the workers onto the swing stage 13 stories above the ground. The crew was repairing concrete balconies on an apartment building. ” In his failure to act, he showed wanton and reckless disregard,” said judge MacDonnell.
When the swing stage split in two, Kazenelson managed to hold onto the balcony, however four out of the five workers fell 13 stories to their death, and the fifth worker miraculously survived, although has suffered severe injuries as a result. Kazenelson was convicted of one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm relating to the surviving worker.
The guilty plea was the first by an Ontario corporation charged under the Criminal Code Bill C-45 amendments that became law in 2004, where Criminal liability of corporations, directors, officers, and employees have been established.
FINES:
Metron Construction Corporation of Toronto was fined $750,000.00 plus an addition 25% for the victims surcharge.
Additional fines where issued to the swing stage Ottawa, Ontario based SWING N SCAFF INC., was also fined $350,000.00 for failing to ensure the platform was in good condition, in addition a company director was fined $50,000.00 and both were also directed to pay an additional 25% victim surcharge.
“This is a tragic event that will never be forgotten” however the sad part is it takes an event like this to change legislation, and still workers are exposed to the hazards of falling each and everyday, they are not trained to protect themselves.
Our Policies and Procedures comply with OHSA
Working at Heights training is available at Paramount Safety Consulting Inc.
Call 289-527-3197
or email us at training@paramountsafetyconsulting.com
CSA Approved Fall Protection HarnessNorth A79 CSA Approved Hard Hat
Need assistance with choosing the right equipment for your project, we can provide
CSA approved equipment at affordable prices.
Paramount Safety Consulting Inc.
“Your Working at Hieghts Professionals”,. Training, Equipment, Policies, Procedures.
Construction Industry Safety Specialists
All workers have the right to return home each day safe and sound. Preventing work-related illness and injury is the most important job at any workplace. Employers, Supervisors, and workers have the duty and responsibility to work safely and identify hazards that could cause critical and fatal injuries.
As of May 1, 2015, Ministry of Labour inspectors will check that employers are complying with Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. This will include checking that new and young workers:
Are properly informed, instructed and supervised on the job
Meet the minimum age requirement
Follow required safety measures and procedures to prevent injuries
Inspectors will focus on industrial sector workplaces like tourism, hospitality and recreation where many new and young workers are employed.
Protecting young people on the job is part of the Ontario government’s continued commitment to preventing workplace injuries.
Did you Know !!
Between 2009 and 2013, 30 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents and more than 30,000 received injuries resulting in lost time at work.
Many young workers who received lost-time injuries were employed as labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities as well as food counter attendants and kitchen helpers.
“We need to work together to avoid these incidents from occurring.
Protecting our workers is the responsibility of each employer & supervisor”.
Are you an Employer in Ontario?
Are concerned about the safety of your workers?
Need training for your workplace?
then call us today, Let Paramount Safety Consulting take the stress out of your compliance issues……
” Your Safety Is Paramount”
Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. today @ 289-527-3197
Occupational Health and Safety ActOn March 4, 2015, and employer in Whitby has pleaded guilty and has been fined $80,000 after two workers suffered hand injuries in separate incidents. The company’s plant in Bowmanville processes and manufactures conveyor belts and employs about 130 employees.In the first incident, which took place February 20, 2013, a worker was moving a boom into position to lift it with a 50-ton overhead crane. The worker was moving a steel cable belt roll weighing over 72,000 pounds with the aid of a ‘keeper bar’ attached to the belt roll. The boom was being moved to the keeper bar when one of the worker’s fingers became pinched between the boom and keeper bar; a finger was partly amputated.This occurred contrary to Section 45(a) of Regulation 851, which governs industrial establishments in Ontario. It states that anything required to be lifted, carried or moved should be done in such a way that does not endanger the safety of a worker.In the second incident, which took place December 18, 2013, another worker was using a knife to cut frayed threads which had been accumulating on a roller. While cutting off the threads, the worker’s glove on one hand got caught in an in-running nip hazard created by the brake and rollers. The nip hazard pulled the hand between the rollers and resulted in the amputation of two fingers.This occurred contrary to Section 25 of Regulation 851, which requires that an in-running nip hazard on a machine that may endanger the safety of any worker must be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the pinch point.The company pleaded guilty and was fined $30,000 on the first incident and $50,000 on the second by Justice of the Peace Leona M. Dombrowsky in Whitby court on March 4.In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.Ben Scipione CHSC, CHSO, RPT
Certified Health and Safety Consultants
Did you know that every employer in Ontario has a duty and responsibility under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide a Healthy & Safety working environment for all its workers. When employers choose to not adhere to the OHSA and then use the reactive approach to health and safety, this is a major contributor to workplace accidents and incidents. The Occupation Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Construction Regulation 213/91, Industrial Regulation 851, WHMIS Regulation 860, to name a few have set out the rules and guidelines to promoting a health and safe working environment in Ontario. The main purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety Act ( OHSA ) is to protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job. It sets out duties for all workplace parties and gives rights for workers. It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and provides for enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily. Fundamental to the successful working of OHSA is the workplace Internal responsibility system (IRS).
Occupational Health and Safety ActUnder the Act 25(2)(j) the Employer must prepare and review at least annually a written occupational health and safety policy and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy. 25(2)(h) the employer must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker. If you would like to know if your workplace meets the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and applicable regulations, give our professionals at Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. a call today at 289-527-3197 to discuss your Health and Safety program and how you can be proactive versus reactive, which could save your organization money and above all the most important, to save a life.
Paramount Safety Consulting Inc.
Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. is proud to be an approved training provider with the Canadian Red CrossFirst Aid & CPR training is mandatory for employees in the workplace; but unlike most other types of safety training, these skills and knowledge are also applicable to an individual’s daily life. This is why we teach people First Aid & CPR in easy-to-follow steps, empowering them to act on, prevent, and manage life’s emergencies.
The professionals at Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. offer a wide variety of First Aid and CPR training courses to help workplaces be compliant with both federal and provincial/territorial occupational health and safety legislation – with the scheduling flexibility needed by decision-makers and the user-friendliness needed by course participants.
Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. provides all levels of First Aid CPR in a classroom based training environment which covers the theoretical and practical portion along with a written evaluation to prove due diligence.
This course sets out to ensure compliance with the Regulation 1101. The employer shall maintain up-to-date written records showing who provided and who received training under this section and the date when it was provided. Paramount Safety Consulting Inc. will keep electronic records of each participant that are available at a moment’s notice.
Keep in mind that recertification training can only be performed once during the participants possession of a Canadian Red Cross approved training certificate. Re-certifications can only be administered if the participant has possessed a valid First Aid/ Cpr Certificate with the Canadian Red Cross. Call our professionals at Paramount Safety Consulting today to receive a free consultation.
Forklift Operator CertificationParamount Safety Consulting Inc. is one of the leading Health and Safety Consulting firms with the most up-to-date certification training for Forklifts Class 1 to 6. We will come to your facility to train the operators in a classroom based setting, covering all topics in the safe operation of a Forklift.
We don’t just do the theory, we will ensure that the employee’s train in their own work atmosphere, to ensure that all potential hazards are identified. Propane fired Forklifts now require the operator to have the new CH-02 Construction Heater Operator certification.
Our professional trainers are Registered Professional Trainers (RPT) accredited with the Canadian Registered Professional Trainers Association. We are also an approved training provider under the Technical Standards Safety Authority (TSSA) CH-02 propane.
Did you know this falls under the Class 1 to 6 for Forklifts
Give us a call today, you will be amazed at the result we can achieve.
Call 289-527-3197 or email us at training@paramountsafetyconsulting.com
CSA Approved Fall Protection Harness
New Working at Heights Training Requirements for Construction Projects
Falls from heights are a major hazard for workers causing injuries and fatalities in Ontario workplaces.
As of April 1, 2015, Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, will require that employers ensure that workers successfully complete a working at heights training program approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) as having met the Working at Heights Training Program Standard.
The new training standards will need to be completed by workers on construction projects who are to use any of the following methods of fall protection: a travel restraint system, a fall restricting system, a fall arrest system, a safety net, a work belt, or a safety belt.
The minimum required duration of this training is 6.5 hours and will also include a practical training portion, providing a hands on experience fo rthe workers.
The amendments require that the training must be delivered by a working at heights training provider who has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.The training, once completed, is valid for three years. Workers must successfully complete a half-day refresher course to revalidate. The Chief Prevention Officer will issue a standardized proof of completion wallet card. For more information on this New Working at Heights training standard, please contact us at 289-527-3197 or
email us at training@paramountsafetyconsulting.com
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