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Workplace safety changes call for new training
Fri., Jan. 18, 2019timer3 min. read
New rules and regulations designed to protect the health and well-being of Alberta employees are putting a renewed emphasis on employers in the province to brush up on their workplace safety skills.
In response, NAIT has emerged with a new suite of training programs and courses that cover everything from First Aid to the transportation of dangerous goods.
Sweeping changes to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act brought forth through Bill 30 last June include revised minimum standards for workplace health and safety. They also outline the roles and responsibilities of employers and workers — in particular, training and additional requirements for employees and supervisors within all Alberta workplaces.
The changes are the first such revisions to the OHS Act in more than 40 years.
"For too long, Albertans had to rely on outdated workplace legislation to help keep them safe at work," said Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray.
"After many months of consultation with employers, workers, labour and industry groups, I am proud to say our province's workplace health and safety laws are now in line with the 21st century and will better protect Albertans at work."
Some of the changes include workers' rights to know about any potential workplace hazards, the right to participate in workplace health and safety discussions and committees and the right to refuse dangerous work without reprisal.
Joint work site health and safety committees will also be required for work sites with 20 or more workers, while worker health and safety representatives will be needed for work sites with five to 19 workers.
Under the new law, employers in the province are also required to report all potentially serious or "near-miss" incidents to OHS. Employers are further required to define workplace harassment and violence, and have prevention plans for each, including the requirement to investigate any complaints of harassment or violence.
The changes followed reviews of previous workplace safety regulations, as well as consultation with business, industry and the public. The updated OHS Act will be enforced through inspections, investigations, orders, administrative penalties, fines and prosecutions.
To assist workplaces with these transitions, the government has provided resources and information including sample harassment and violence plan templates.
NAIT has developed a catalogue of courses that meets the compliance requirements of the Alberta OHS Act.
Offered through NAIT's Continuing Education department, the occupational health and safety courses help participants identify and mitigate hazards — particularly in the health, hospitality, skilled trades and technology sectors.
New courses include health and safety orientation, WHIMIS 2015, transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), standard First Aid and CPR/AED level C, and standard First Aid and CPR/AED level C renewal.
"Safety is everyone's responsibility," says Sean Kuzminski, continuing education health and safety portfolio manager at NAIT.
"NAIT's health and safety orientation course was designed by occupational health and safety professionals for use in all workplaces."
Kuzminski adds NAIT will be adding a health and safety course for supervisors in the near future.
Each of the courses have multiple start dates to help meet the needs of individuals and employers. Most of the courses are offered through computer-based or eLearning, while the First Aid and CPR courses are offered as in-class, hands-on learning experiences.
Kuzminski notes some of the courses at NAIT have already started, with the next available start dates as early as Jan. 19 (standard First Aid and CPR/AED level C renewal) and Feb. 1.
The new courses help to complement a wide range of health and safety general courses already offered through Continuing Education at NAIT. For more information or to register for one of these new courses, visit nait.ca/safetytraining.
WCB injury statistics
In 2017, the Workers Compensation Board of Alberta reported 134 workers who died while on the job. The report also stated the following workplace injuries, diseases and fatalities statistics in Alberta for 2017:
• 48,834 injury claims by workers (about three in 100 workers)
• Workers aged 15 to 24 were at a higher risk to be injured at work
• Men were almost twice as likely to be injured at work than women
• Transport truck drivers and retails sales were the two occupations with the highest injury claims (13 per cent).