Health & Safety Training
What’s all this about Awareness Training?
Like other employers, school boards are required to complete new health and safety awareness training under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. These requirements are enforceable as of July 1, 2014. The Ministry of Labour has just released A Guide to OHSA Requirements for Basic Awareness Training. It’s a great resource.
It is ETFO Policy “that union-friendly health and safety instructors and/or materials, including those provided by the Workers Health and Safety Centre, are used by district school boards for all health and safety training.”
Whether in person or virtual, WHSC training is highly interactive, applying adult learning principles to ensure learning is engaging, relevant and achieved.
JHSC Certification Training
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, at least one worker and one employer on a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) must be certified.
- Certification Part I training gives participants a review of occupational health and safety legislation.
- Certification Part II training is required to be completed within 12 months of completing Certification Part I training before JHSC members can be considered fully certified. Certification Part II training must address at least six hazards relevant to the JHSC’s workplace.
- Certification Refresher training must be completed by all Certified members of JHSCs every three years after completing Certification Part II (if completed after March 2016).
ETFO and the labour movement in Ontario regularly advocate for training above these minimum standards and do not support the exemptions from these minimum standards.
