Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/1299031
6 www.thesafetymag.com/ca W O R K P L A C E N E W S U P F R O N T CCOHS releases safe return-to-work course The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has released an online course to guide businesses on how to safely return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled Pandemic Planning: Reopening for Business, the course will teach employers, supervisors, managers and workers how to prepare for a safe return to work and what controls are needed to be put in place to protect everyone and minimize the impact of the pandemic. The course is available online in French and English languages. Yukon passes regulation against violence and harassment Yukon has approved the Violence and Harassment Prevention Regulation, which the government says will help to foster a positive culture in the workplace as well as increased physical and psychological safety. The new regulation will take effect Sept. 4, 2021. During the waiting period, the Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board will be offering support, particularly to employers with small businesses, with a how-to guide, ready-to-use tools and training resources. In addition to the new regulation, the government also made enhancements to the existing regulations about hazard assessment to make them clearer and easier to understand. "As Ontario's economy begins to reopen, it is important to ensure that workers from First Nations communities are returning to safe and healthy workplaces." Monte McNaughton Minister of labour, training and skills development ONTARIO is investing $280,500 for the Nokiiwin Tribal Council to provide culturally appropriate training and programs that will help protect the health and safety of workers from First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario. "We are committed to supporting workers, students and families living in First Nation communities of the Robinson Superior Treaty area and beyond," says Greg Rickford, minister of energy, northern development and mines and minister of Indigenous affairs. "This initiative offers an opportunity to harness workplace health and safety as a catalyst for positive and lasting change." The programs — under the G'minoomaadozimin We Are Living Well Health and Safety Initiative — will address mental health and workplace violence and harassment and expand supports for vulnerable workers. The G'minoomaadozimin project will offer training to help foster respectful workplaces and design programs that utilize the Seven Grandfather Teachings, namely: Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, Truth & Wisdom. These teachings are inherent to the First Nations belief system. "G'minoomaadozimin is steered by the needs and priorities of our member First Nations. The continuation of this initiative, especially during this unprecedented time, is integral to developing safety initiatives and solutions that are built on the traditional cultural foundations of our communities," says Audrey Gilbeau, executive director of Nokiiwin Tribal Council. "Utilizing workplace health and safety as a catalyst for change leads to safer families and safer communities." The Nokiiwin Tribal Council will also implement activities and tools to support safer workplaces, homes and communities and engage youth through creative storytelling exercises and artistry to foster safety and mental health. The council's mandate is to provide culturally appropriate advisory services and training opportunities that enhance growth and prosperity for member communities in response to their individual needs and priorities. "As Ontario's economy begins to reopen, it is important to ensure that workers from First Nations communities are returning to safe and healthy workplaces," says Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development. "I have made the health and safety of every worker a key priority as minister. The culturally sensitive training and programs developed and delivered by Nokiiwin Tribal Council are crucial supports." Previously, Ontario invested $10 million in the Support for People and Jobs Fund for Indigenous-owned small and medium-sized businesses that are either ineligible for or unable to access existing federal and provincial COVID- 19 response initiatives for small businesses. Since 2015, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has provided more than $1.1 million in funding to the Nokiiwin Tribal Council. ONTARIO INVESTS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY IN INDIGENOUS WORKPLACES Province to invest in mental health and violence and harassment in Indigenous workplaces in the Robinson Superior Treaty area