New MOL requirement for all workplaces, regardless of size

1. Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013
Mandatory Health and
Safety Training

2. Mandatory H&S Training
I was researching some health and safety training
programs last week for a client, and I called a local
firm, Occupational Health and Safety Consultants Inc.
(OHSC).
Deanna, the very pleasant Marketing Manager, asked
me if I knew about the new MOL requirement for
Supervisor Training, coming into effect in January
2014.
I replied that I had heard rumours but hadn’t yet seen
anything.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

3. Mandatory H&S Training
I am thankful to Deanna for sharing this
information and to OHSC for allowing me to post
this on my blog, so that you know, too! The
following information is from OHSC:
Ontario employers will have until January 1,
2014 to ensure that all current workers and
supervisors have received new mandatory
safety awareness training.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

4. Who Needs to be Trained?
Mandatory for all Workplaces Covered by OHSA regardless of sector,
including industrial establishments, construction projects, health care and
residential facilities, mines and mining plants, and farming operations. The
requirement even extends to office employees and others thought to
be in low-safety-risk jobs.
New Employees regulation will also require that any new employees
receive the worker training as soon as practicable after commencing work
duties, and that new supervisors complete the supervisory safety awareness
training within the first week of commencing supervisory duties.
New employees or supervisors who can prove that they received the safety
awareness training at a previous employer will not be required to retake that
training.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

5. Previous Training May Not Be Sufficient
Although many employers will have already
provided safety awareness training to workers and
supervisors, if that training did not include all of
the above topics and was not “equivalent” to the
training program developed by the MOL, then the
training will not meet the new legal requirement.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

6. Consequences of Missing the Deadline
Employers who do not comply with the new
training requirements by January 1, 2014 could be
ordered by an MOL inspector to comply –
meaning, they will have to scramble to complete the
training in short order – or, in a worst-case
scenario, they could be charged and fined.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

7. What Should Employers Do?
Ontario employers should, in the very near future:
• Review existing worker and supervisor training programs and consider
whether they contain the content required under the new rules
• If there are training gaps – that is, if your current program is missing
content required by the new MOL requirements – the employer must
ensure that the gaps are filled by the end of 2013. OHS legal counsel can
assist in determining whether there are gaps
• Review your existing training documentation: are you able to prove that
your employees have received the training that you have already done?
• Consider how you will document that all employees and supervisors have
received the new mandatory training. If the training is not properly
documented, or you cannot adequately prove that a person received
the training, the MOL could still lay orders or charges.
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013

8. More Info:
To reach OHSC:
Occupational Health and Safety Consultants Inc.,
340 Henry St. Unit 8 Brantford
P - 519-758-0146
F - 519-758-5332
www.ohsconsultants.ca
Kathryn Kissinger HR Services 2013