FAQ

OHSA applies to almost every worker, supervisor, employer and workplace in Ontario, including workplace owners, constructors and suppliers of equipment or materials to workplaces covered by the Act. OHSA does not apply to: Work done by the owner or occupant, or a servant, in a private residence or on the connected land [Section 3(1)]; Workplaces under federal jurisdiction, although federal authorities accept that outside contractors and their employees, while in federal workplaces, are under provincial jurisdiction.

OHSA Sections 25 assigns a mixture of general and specific duties to employers and provides for other duties to be prescribed (required) by regulation. Some of the general duties require an employer to: Take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers; Ensure that equipment, materials and protective equipment are maintained in good condition; Provide information, instruction and supervision to protect worker health and safety; and Co-operate with the JHSC. Some of the specific duties require an employer to: Comply with all regulations made under OHSA; Develop and implement an occupational health and safety program and policy; Post a copy of OHSA in the workplace; and any explanatory material prepared by the Ministry of Labour in the workplace; and Provide health and safety reports to the JHSC. OHSA Section 26 details a number of other areas where additional duties for an employer may be prescribed. Regulations give more specific directions on how to comply with the general requirements of OHSA. Employers also have duties with respect to workplace violence and workplace harassment.

A company with 20 – 49 workers requires a minimum of 2 certified JHSC members , 1 management rep and 1 worker rep. A company with 50+ workers requires a minimum of 4 JHSC members (2 certified), 2 management reps and 2 worker reps. Under the new JHSC standards, a 1 day refresher training is required every 3 years to maintain their certification. Also under the new standards, Part 2 must be completed within 6 months of completing Part 1. Bullivant Health + Safety is a Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) Approved provider for the new JHSC certification standards. A company with 6-19 workers requires only a Health and Safety Representative. While we can provide Health & Safety Representative Training for your staff, CPO approved training is not require at this time as the MOL has stated it will become a formal certification class, similar to the JHSC Part 1 & 2 Certification, in the near future.

A Joint Health and Safety Committee ( JHSC ) is composed of worker and employer representatives. Together, they should be mutually committed to improving health and safety conditions in the workplace. As well, a designated worker member of the committee is required to inspect the workplace at least once a month.

Back in March of 2016 the Ministry of Labour (MOL) introduced new legislation for the Joint Health & Safety Committee certification course. They standardized the learning material, learning outcomes and course presentation and increased the duration from 3 or 4 days, depending on your industry, to 5 days for all industries, three days for Part 1 Basic and two days for Part 2 Workplace Specific. The MOL also introduced a mandatory JHSC 1 Day Refresher training class for those that complete the program after March 1, 2016. This refresher training is required to be completed every 3 years for those that completed the JHSC program after March 1, 2016. Anyone who completed the JHSC training under the old standards, prior to March 1, 2016 was grandfathered in and their certification will never expire, they are not required to complete the JHSC 1 Day Refresher course in order to maintain their certification.

Yes, under the law an employer must do everything possible to protect their workers while on the job. This includes but is not limited to the following training:

• WHMIS 2015
• Fall Protection (non construction) & Working at Heights (construction)
• Confined Space Entry
• Violence and Harassment plus Sexual module
• Mobile Equipment Operators (lifting devices, Mobile Elevated Work Platforms, overhead crane, etc)
• JHSC Certification—Part I and II (20 or more regular workers)
• Designated Substances
• Respirator Fit Testing
• Personal Protective Equipment or Devices—use and care
• Standard First Aid
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG)There may be more specific training that is required for your specific company depending on the industry.

The legal duties and responsibilities of employers, supervisors and workers overlap and complement each other. Together, they create what’s known as the internal responsibility system or IRS. Learn more by visiting the MOL’s website about IRS. Simply put, the IRS means everyone in the workplace has a role to play and a duty to actively ensure workers are safe. Every worker who sees a health and safety problem such as a hazard in the workplace has a duty to report the situation to management. Once a hazard has been identified, the employer and supervisor have a duty to look at the problem and eliminate any hazard that could injure workers.

Yes, under the law an employer must do everything possible to protect their workers Red Cross First Aid Requirements for your workplace LEVEL C – Ideal for workplaces, the general public, and for those required to have training for emergencies involving all ages. The course content includes CPR techniques for adults, infants, children and one and two-rescuer situations, choking procedure for all ages, artificial respiration, barrier devices and AED (Automated External Defibrillation) training. The Difference between Emergency and Standard First Aid Emergency – Emergency First Aid is designed for the general public and to meet workplace safety needs. Course content covers the roles and responsibilities of the First Aid provider, unresponsive casualty management, casualty management – conscious with head/spinal injury, adult resuscitation – choking, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), severe bleeding, wound care, medical conditions, and Automated External Defibrillation (AED). This course meets the Occupational Health and Safety requirements in the province of Ontario for workplaces with less than 5 employees. Standard – Standard First Aid training includes all that is offered in Emergency First Aid as well as secondary survey, bone & joint injuries, eye injuries, environmental illness, chest injuries, poisoning, multiple casualty management and rescue carries. This course meets the Occupational Health and Safety requirements in the province of Ontario for workplaces with 5 or more employees. What Course Should I Take for the Workplace? 1. We have a very small number of employees where I work and it is an adult only environment do we have to have training in First Aid? For Workplaces with less than 5 employees, the Occupational Health and Safety Act states that the company is required to have one employee on every shift to be trained to the Emergency Level with CPR A & AED. We always recommend having at least 2 employees trained so that you are covered during the times an employee is away for lunch breaks, vacations and other leave. 2. We have more than 5 employees where I work. What course should I take? For Workplaces with more than 5 employees, the Occupational Health and Safety Act states that the company is required to have one employee on every shift to be trained to the Standard Level with CPR A & AED. We always recommend having at least 2 employees trained so that you are covered during the times an employee is away for lunch breaks, vacations and other leave.

• Lift Truck (forklift) Operator theory – 3 years
• Overhead Crane – 3 years
• Mobile Elevated Work Platforms – 3 years
• WHMIS 2015 – reviewed yearly
• Violence & Harassment + Sexual Harassment – 3 years
• Confined Space – 3 years
• Working at Heights (construction) – 3 years
• Fall Arrest (non construction) – 3 years
• JHSC Part 1 & Part 2 – 1 day refresher training every 3 years
• TDG – 3 years
• Standard First Aid – 3 years
• Lockout/Tagout – 3 years
• Respirator Training & Fit Testing – 2 years
• Emergency Response – yearly review
• Worker/Supervisor Awareness Training – once complete it does not expire

We run regular monthly safety training classes at our Stoney Creek training facility which you can view here. We can also provide any of the training courses at your location in a group setting. We only require a classroom type setting and a blank wall or screen for the PowerPoint presentation. Group training is the most cost effective way to have all your workers trained in a timely matter. We can also put together custom training programs which are specific to your needs and requirements. Click Here to learn the 3 top benefits to hold group training sessions at your facility.

‘Qualitative’ fit testing is a straight pass/fail method that relies on the subject’s sensory response to detect a challenge agent. ‘Quantitative’ fit testing is a test method that uses an instrument to assess the adequacy of the respirator fit. At Bullivant Health + Safety we provide the ‘Qualitative’ fit test method. Fit testing must be done every 2 years and participants must be clean shaven along the jaw line in order for an accurate fit test to be conducted. Contact us for more details.

We realize that you have a busy schedule and although most of the time our trainers are usually booked one to two months in advance, there are times where I can have a trainer at your facility the next day. We’ll do everything possible to accommodate your specific needs. It’s important to remember that if you require training at your facility for your group you should be booking the date as soon as possible to ensure you get the date of your choice. Also remember that if you do reserve a date for training you should be doing everything possible to ensure that the training does take place as it may be a month or two before we can reschedule.

Designation is typically reserved for substances known to be particularly hazardous to the health and safety of workers. Eleven substances have been prescribed asdesignated substances in one regulation under the Act (Designated SubstancesO. Reg . 490/09) If you workplace has any of the designated substances below they are require by law to have a Joint Health & Safety Committee in place, no matter how many employees they have.

• Acrylonitrile
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Benzene
• Coke oven emissions
• Ethylene oxide
• Isocyanates
• Lead
• Mercury
• Silica
• Vinyl chloride

As a general rule, employment falls under provincial jurisdiction, as our Constitution recognizes that “local works and undertakings”, which includes employment, is within provincial power. However, the Constitution also recognizes that certain industries are of national importance or cross provincial borders, and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. Some industries recognized as falling under federal jurisdiction include:

• Radio and television broadcasting;
• Telecommunications;
• Chartered Banks;
• Airports and air transportation;
• Shipping and navigation;
• Interprovincial and international transportation (including trucking, rail and pipeline);
• First Nations reserves;
• The RCMP and the military; and
• Federal government employees.

The legalization of marijuana came into effect on October 17, 2019 and companies should have in place, the changes to their policies and programs stating that just like alcohol, marijuana is not allowed to be consumed on company property nor on company time. It doesn’t have to be any more than simply substituting marijuana for alcohol in the zero tolerance policy unless your company has safety sensitive positions within the workplace. If so then a more in depth policy and program must be created specifically for these positions. Impairment in the workplace from marijuana is a little harder to prove as opposed to alcohol. There are no instruments in place that can accurately prove impairment, they can only prove the worker has used marijuana in the past 28 days. Managers and supervisors must tread lightly with any accusations of impairment, as once the accusation is made, it’s up to the company to now prove impairment.

• Occupational Health & Safety Act – “Green Book”
• Guide to the Act – English Version of the Green Book
• Health & Safety Policy (Template -PDF) – must be posted & reviewed annually (dated)
• Violence Policy (Template – PDF) – must be posted & reviewed annually (dated)
• Harassment Policy (Template -PDF) – must be posted & reviewed annually (dated)
• Health & Safety at Work Poster – “Prevention Starts Here”
• Form 82 – WSIB 1-2-3-4 Poster
• Employment Standards Poster – 2015
• First Aid – Reg. 1101
• Emergency Numbers – Posted

Every 3 years operators must complete both the classroom theory portion as well as a Competency Evaluation when taking the Forklift, Overhead Crane, Mobile Elevated Work Platforms and Mobile Knuckle Boom Crane (up to 8 ton) courses to prove they are competent to operate the device. The CSA standard states that within that 3 year period, the company is responsible to prove that the operator is still competent to operate the device. A lot can change in 3 years such as hearing or vision loss, that’s why it’s up to the company and it’s managers and supervisors to ensure all operators remain competent throughout the 3 year period when the certificate is valid. At BULLIVANT Health + Safety, when you complete one of courses we include the Competency Evaluations for the device. For our monthly classes the participant would come to our Stoney Creek facility for the classroom portion, then a trainer would be scheduled to go to the participants company facility and complete the Competency Evaluation. For any group training on these devices, the Competency Evaluations would take place immediately following the classroom portion. Each evaluation takes approximately 15 minters per person, per device.

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We issue a digital certificate when you complete a course via SkillsPass. The digital certificate is added to your Work Portal, which is set up with your account, and can be displayed on your computer, smart phone or tablet for quick and easy access. It also means you will never risk having your certificate lost or stolen.

SkillsPass, part of Bluedrop Learning Networks, is a Safety Credential Management system that provides one centralized database for validated digital certifications with real-time availability for training providers, employers, unions, authorizers and workers. learn more

Yes, you can choose to print you certificate at any time.

You can present your certificate to an inspector on your phone by using your unique SkillsPass QR code. Once you scan your code, you can bring your certificates up to save in a wallet on your phone for quick viewing.

No, you are assigned your own profile that you can take with you from employer to employer, training provider to training provider.