Deadline for Regulation Prescribing Mandatory Worker and Supervisor OHS Awareness Training Extended
By Daniel Mayer
As our regular readers know, the Ministry of Labour is currently drafting a new regulation that will require mandatory occupational health and safety awareness training for all workers and supervisors in Ontario. This arises from a strong recommendation made by the Dean Panel that all workers and supervisors receive prescribed minimum information on their duties and responsibilities under the OHSA in order to facilitate the operation of the internal responsibility system.
The anticipated filing date for the regulation was July 1, 2013, and the scheduled coming into force date was January 1, 2014, giving employers 6 months to implement the new mandatory training.
To date, the regulation has not been filed. We have learned that the filing date and the coming into force deadline will likely be extended – in part because the Ministry is still reviewing submissions received from the public consultation and because employers and other stakeholders have expressed concerns about the six month implementation period. At this time, we are unable to predict for how long the deadline will be extended.
In the meantime, employers should continue preparing for the coming into force of this regulation. Training that meets the mandatory minimum content eventually prescribed is expected to be grandfathered. We will keep you informed as we receive further information.
Should you have any questions regarding mandatory OHS awareness training, please contact the writer at dmayer@heenan.ca , Cheryl Edwards at cedwards@heenan.ca, Kevin MacNeill at kmacneill@heenan.ca, or Jeremy Warning at jwarning@heenan.ca, or any member of our national OHS Practice Group.