Under the new Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training regulation of the OHSA, which comes into force on July 1, 2014, all employers in Ontario must ensure that their workers complete a basic health and safety awareness training program.
It is important to understand what the law says and means so that you know your roles and responsibilities, and how this knowledge helps you to stay safe at work. You also need to be aware of common hazards in the workplace, and what to watch out for.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act provides us with the legal framework and the tools to achieve this goal. It sets out the rights and duties of all parties in the workplace. It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and it provides for enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily by workplace parties.
Employers should note that the Act makes it clear that employers have the greatest responsibilities with respect to health and safety in the workplace. However, all workplace parties have a role to play to ensure that health and safety requirements are met in the workplace. All workplace parties have a responsibility for promoting health and safety in the workplace and a role to play to help the workplace be in compliance with the statutory requirements set out under the Act. The respective roles and responsibilities for all workplace parties are detailed in the Act. This is the basis for the internal responsibility system.
Every improvement in occupational health and safety benefits all of us. Through cooperation and commitment, we can make Ontario a safer and healthier place in which to work.
Worker Health and Safety Test (4 Steps)
WHMIS Test
Employment Standards
Workplace Rights
Workplace Violence and Workplace Harassment