Funding announced for northern health and safety association

Six health and safety associations across the province, including one that serves the north, will share in provincial funding of $12.5 million to help boost operations.

The Ontario government announced the funding on May 17.

Workplace Safety North is among the funding recipients. The Sudbury-based group provides information, resources, events, consulting services and province-wide, ministry-approved workplace health and safety training to the mining and forest products industries.

The organization recently hosted its 25th annual conference, April 18-20, which was themed Evolution of Mining Safety: Past Reflections and Future Innovations.

The province simultaneously announced it is updating mandatory working-at-heights training requirements for workplaces across the province.

Training providers have until April 1, 2024 to update their programs, ensuring they meet the requirements of the revised standards.

Updates to the programming include:

• additional learning outcomes on ladders, skylights and damaged equipment;
• additional required personal protective equipment;
• elimination of duplicative language and learning outcomes; and
• enhancement of language to foster more inclusive engagement.

In addition, training providers must meet the following requirements:

• a basic occupational health and safety awareness training reminder;
• enhanced copyright rules;
• submitting learner status when providing proof of completion to the Chief Prevention Officer;
• updates to instructor requirements; and
• promotion of social inclusion and anti-racism.

The province noted that together, the health and safety associations delivered more than 64,000 training sessions last year, and more than one million workers have successfully completed standardized working at heights training since the program’s inception.