New Government Plan to Combat Sexual Violence and Harassment

Ensuring that our school communities are safer and healthier places to learn and to work is an important part of supporting student achievement and educator excellence.

Ensuring health and safety in schools is an essential part of any supervisory officer’s responsibilities.
Council of Ontario Directors of Education

A strong safety culture is dependent upon demonstrating a commitment to safety by the senior management of an organization.
Council of Ontario Directors of Education

Safe workplaces mean safe learning environments for students.
Sam Hammond, ETFO President

Accidents, deaths, and injuries have far reaching effects on students, educators, families and communities. The fact is they are preventable, and everyone has a role to play in that prevention.
Sam Hammond, ETFO President

Workplace complaints to the ministry about exposures to chemicals and a lack of proper ventilation are often associated with larger-scale maintenance activities or renovations.
(Education sub-sector, Industrial Sector Plan 2012-2013, Ministry of Labour)

Schools with better physical conditions show improved academic performance.
(Environmental Protection Agency, USA)

Workplace violence and harassment, “is a concern when working with students in general, and particularly for educational assistants and teachers who work with special needs students.”
(Education sub-sector, Industrial Sector Plan 2012-2013, Ministry of Labour)

A safer, healthier workplace means you can be
at your professional best without the stress of illness or injury.

This awareness training will lay the foundation for building a strong occupational health and safety culture in the province of Ontario.
George Gritziotis, Chief Prevention Officer, Province of Ontario

Overall, it may be time for boards to undertake development of a strategic plan for student success that integrates academic achievement along with student health, safety and well-being” (CODE 2014)

If it’s difficult to report a health and safety concern, get help from your steward or your ETFO local.

The work to prevent student injuries and to ensure student health and safety is by no means complete (CODE 2014)

To help ensure that students have acceptable, suitable environments to learn in, the Ministry of Education should develop an ongoing process to identify and address urgent capital renewal needs before schools become prohibitive to repair.
School Renewal and Maintenance, 2010 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario

Worker health issues include seasonal infections.
(Education sub-sector, Industrial Sector Plan 2012-2013, Ministry of Labour)

New Government Plan to Combat Sexual Violence and Harassment

The Ontario government’s has introduced It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment, a strategic plan for communities, campuses and workplaces. One of the strategic initiatives will be to enhance workplace laws to strengthen enforcement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including establishing a Code of Practice to help employers develop stronger sexual harassment policies.