With a number of recent legislative changes, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) has updated their online guide to occupational health and safety law.
The MOL’s Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act) now offers explanatory material on the new violence and harassment prevention provisions. More than a year ago Bill 168, An Act to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace officially came into force. Chief among the new employer duties is the requirement to develop and implement workplace policies and program(s) aimed at preventing violence and harassment. To this end the employer must provide all workers with information and instruction on the content of the workplace policies and programs.
The guide also clarifies the many additional employer obligations to inform, instruct and train workers, supervisors and other workplace parties. For instance, workers have the right to know about any potential hazards to which they may be exposed. As spelled out in the guide “This means the right to be trained and to have information on machinery, equipment, working conditions, processes and hazardous substances.”
Certification training for members of joint health and safety committees, WHMIS training for anyone likely to handle, store or otherwise be exposed to hazardous material at work, and ensuring supervisor competency are just a few additional examples of legally-mandated training.
Beyond these training and awareness obligations, the guide seeks to assist employers, workers and others in understanding all of the rights and duties prescribed by the Act and the regulations.
The Workers Health and Safety Centre offers a range of training programs aimed at helping employers and other workplace parties better understand and comply with the significant training obligations and other legal duties and responsibilities mandated by law.
Want to know more about the Act as it relates to violence and harassment prevention and how the WHSC can help your workplace comply with the law?
Want to know about other WHSC training aimed at helping workplaces comply with occupational health and safety law? Call 1-888-869-7950 and ask to speak to a training service representative and/or access the following links?
Want to read the MOL’s guides to occupational health and safety law?
Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Guide for JHSC and Representatives in the Workplace
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Service: A Guide to the Legislation
Note: According to the MOL, “A new print edition of this guide, which will include recent changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Actcontained in Bill 160 (Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011 – received royal assent June 1, 2011) will be available in the spring of 2012.
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