REA - EHS Headlines - Ontario

January 2004 - Ontario Edition

Are Your Supervisors "Competent"?
Over the last several months we have seen an increase in the number of charges laid by the Ministry of Worker.gif (22685 bytes)

Labour on employers for failing to appoint a competent person as a supervisor and in turn, individual supervisors for failing to fulfill their duties under Section 27 of the Act. Recall that, under Section 25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, "employers" must ensure that when appointing a "supervisor", they appoint a "competent person". What does this mean? A "competent person" is defined as a person who: (a) is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize the work and its performance; (b) is familiar with [the] Act and regulations, and; (c) has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace. This means that any worker who may be viewed as a "supervisor" under the Act should have the knowledge and the tools to be able to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
How can an organization ensure that its supervisors are competent persons? One way is through proper training. Case law suggests that training should include: an awareness of the OH&S Act and Regulations, roles and responsibilities of workplace parties, due diligence, accident investigation, workplace inspections and proactive techniques for managing OH&S issues on a day-to day basis. For more information on how to ensure that your organization’s supervisors are competent, please contact Joanna at 416-495-1314 or jszymandera@rea.ca, or check out our website at www. rea.ca and download the course curriculum for our “OHS for Managers and Supervisors – “The Competent Person Course”.

Update: CSA Z432 – Safeguarding of Machinery Standard
Next month CSA will release the 2nd edition of Z432, the Safeguarding of Machinery Standard. This standard will require a risk assessment whenever new equipment is designed, existing equipment is modified, and whenever safety measures and/or operating procedures are altered. This will require employers to evaluate current risks and controls and anticipate any potential hazards resulting from modification/alterations. The changing technologies related to machine safety rely on effective placement of the physical guard itself, but also on correct design of the safety control system. Using a comprehensive risk assessment methodology is key to determining the appropriate level of reliability for machine safety controls. Compliance with this CSA standard is recognized as good engineering practice in the safeguarding of machinery. Therefore, compliance with the new CSA-Z432 is strongly recommended to avoid future noncompliance issues with Ministry of Labour inspectors.
To learn more about these changes and machine and process safeguarding requirements, see our attached ad for upcoming course dates in the Toronto and Hamilton areas for our Machine and Process Safeguarding Course, or call our office at 416-495-1314 to speak to one of our engineering staff.

UPCOMING COURSES

Joint Health & Safety Committee Basic Certification:
Feb. 10 & 11, 2004 – London
Feb. 18 & 19, 2004 – Toronto
Mar. 3 & 4, 2004 – Hamilton
Mar. 10 & 11, 2004 – Kingston
Apr. 6 & 7, 2004 – Toronto

Joint Health & Safety Committee Part 2 Certification – Health Care:
Feb. 11 & 12, 2004 – Ottawa
March 30 & 31, 2004 – Hamilton

Joint Health & Safety Committee Part 2 Certification – Office:
Feb. 26, 2004 – Ottawa
Mar. 23, 2004 – London
Mar. 25, 2004 – Toronto

Joint Health & Safety Committee Part 2 Certification – Industrial:
Mar. 9 & 10, 2004 – Hamilton
Apr. 6 & 7, 2004 – Ottawa

Contractor & Project Safety Management:
Feb. 18 & 19, 2004 – Ottawa
Apr. 28 & 29, 2004 – Hamilton

OHS for Managers & Supervisors – the "Competent Person" Course:
Feb. 17 & 18, 2004 – Kingston
Mar. 24 & 25, 2004 – Toronto

Industrial Ergonomics for Safety and Performance
Mar. 11, 2004 – Toronto
Jun. 17, 2004 – Toronto

Mould Identification and Control in Facilities:
Mar. 4, 2004 – Toronto
Mar. 18, 2004 – Toronto

Pre-Start Health & Safety Review:
Feb. 24, 2004 – Hamilton
Mar. 30, 2004 – Toronto
Apr. 14, 2004 – Hamilton

Machine & Process Safeguarding:
Feb. 25, 2004 – Hamilton
Mar. 31, 2004 – Toronto
Apr. 15, 2004 – Hamilton

Canada Labour Code, Part II – OHS for Managers & Supervisors:
Apr. 27, 2004 – Ottawa
May 11, 2004 – Ottawa (en français)
May 27, 2004 – Toronto

Canada Labour Code, Part II – Work Place Policy Health and Safety Committees:
Feb. 24 & 25, 2004 – Toronto
Mar. 24 & 25, 2004 – Ottawa (en français)
June 15 & 16, 2004 – Ottawa

OHSAS 18001 – OHS Management System Awareness Course:
Mar. 16, 2004 – Toronto

OHSAS 18001 – OHS Management System Implementation Course:
Apr. 13 – 15, 2004 – Toronto

Infection Prevention in Health Care Construction and Maintenance:
Feb. 5, 2004 – Toronto

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