Your Complete Guide to Health and Safety in the Workplace

Please check our website for our 2025 course dates!

JOINT HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions (WHSS) is the only Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) approved Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) Certification training provider located in Kingston. 

As most workplaces with twenty (20) or more workers must have a JHSC established, we regularly hold training sessions. At least one (1) worker and one (1) management representative of this committee must be certified by completing the prescribed training standards set by the MOL. 

Part One Basic Certification Training 

Part One Basic Certification training provides an overall knowledge of the Health and Safety Legislation that applies to most workplaces. 

Part Two Workplace Specific Training 

Part Two Workplace Specific Certification training focuses on the significant hazards in your workplace and how to assess, control and/or eliminate them.

Refresher Certification Training 

This course is designed to include all sectors and reviews the essentials of the Part 1 and 2 Certification training as well as highlight any legislative changes that have occurred within the last three years.

Visit our website to register for the Part 1, Part 2 or Refresher Certification Courses.

June is Brain Injury Awareness Month

This June, Wilkens Health & Safety Solutions is proud to support Brain Injury Awareness Month. Brain injuries affect every part of life, not just for individuals, but for their families and caregivers too.

The theme, "Beyond the Injury," highlights the need for better understanding, support, and services at every stage of recovery. Together, we can raise awareness and advocate for meaningful change.

Let’s go beyond awareness. Let’s go beyond the injury.

New Job-Protected Leave Coming June 2025

As part of the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024, a new unpaid Long-Term Illness Leave will be added to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act starting June 19, 2025.

This leave will provide eligible employees with up to 27 weeks off within 52 weeks. To qualify, employees must:

• Have been continuously employed for at least 13 weeks
• Be unable to work due to a serious medical condition certified by a qualified health practitioner

The medical certificate must confirm the serious condition and the expected duration of the leave.

Mass Terminations: What Employers Need to Know

Recent job cuts across Canada—including 33,000 lost in March 2025 alone—highlight the importance of understanding mass termination rules under employment law. If your organization is planning layoffs, the legal requirements differ significantly from individual terminations.

Under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, a mass termination occurs when 50 or more employees are let go at the same establishment within 4 weeks. In these cases, employers must provide enhanced notice:

• 8 weeks for 50–199 employees
• 12 weeks for 200–499 employees
• 16 weeks for 500+ employees

Additionally, employers may need to:

• Notify the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of Ontario
• Provide written notice to employees and unions
• Comply with posting requirements
• Possibly establish a joint planning committee

Failure to follow these rules can result in legal and financial penalties. Exceptions may apply based on the percentage of workforce affected or if the business is not permanently closing.

Mental Health & Employee Needs

A new survey by Mercer Marsh Benefits reveals a disconnect between what Canadian employees want and what employers offer, particularly in terms of mental health and financial support.

• 38% of employees want mental health screenings, but only 22% of employers offer them
• 36% want mental health training, but only 25% of employers provide it
• Many want emergency savings options, but few employers have them

Employees with more benefits report higher wellbeing and stronger workplace belonging.

Reassessing your offerings could boost retention, resilience, and employee trust.

Safe Kids Week: Preventing Concussions in Children

Parachute’s Safe Kids Week is raising awareness about concussions—predictable and preventable injuries that impact thousands of children each year.

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head, neck, or body that shakes the brain. It doesn’t require a direct head hit or loss of consciousness.

Who’s At Risk?

Under 5: Falls from furniture and stairs are the most common cause

Ages 5–9: Falls and sports injuries

Ages 10–14: Sports are the leading cause

Prevention Tips:

• Use window guards, safety gates, and remove tripping hazards
• Choose age-appropriate playgrounds and equipment
• Encourage safe play and proper gear in sports
• Teach non-contact forms of play and sports

Know The Signs:

Watch for headaches, irritability, slowness, changes in appetite, or skill regression. Red flags include confusion, repeated vomiting, or loss of consciousness—seek emergency care immediately.

Let’s protect young brains by learning, preventing, and responding to concussions properly.

Learn more: parachute.ca/SafeKidsWeek

Ontario to Require AEDs on Construction Sites

Ontario is taking a major step forward in workplace safety with proposed legislation that would require automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) on construction sites employing 20 or more workers for three months or longer. Part of the upcoming Working for Workers Act 7, the initiative aims to better protect workers in high-risk environments by ensuring life-saving tools are readily available in the event of a cardiac emergency.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of workplace fatalities, particularly in the construction sector. When used alongside CPR, AEDs can improve survival rates by over 50%. To support compliance, the province will offer a reimbursement program through the WSIB, allowing employers to recover the average cost of an AED, approximately $2,300.

Industry leaders, including the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, EllisDon, and the Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario, have expressed strong support for the change. They emphasize the importance of AED availability, easy-to-use technology, and training already embedded in many first aid programs.

Labour Minister David Piccini stated, “Construction workers deserve real, life-saving tools on the job. Every second counts in a cardiac emergency.”

If passed, this legislation would position Ontario as a national leader in on-site cardiac preparedness and help ensure safer work environments across the province.

First Aid & CPR Training with WHSS

Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions offers Standard and Emergency First Aid Training, led by our experienced instructor, Steve Day. Whether required for your workplace or peace of mind at home, this comprehensive course equips participants with essential first aid and CPR skills, in line with the latest Red Cross guidelines.

This training meets legislative requirements for provincial and territorial worker safety and insurance boards, and covers certification in:

• Emergency First Aid (1 day) or Standard First Aid (2 days)
• CPR Level A or C
• AED (Automated External Defibrillator) use

Courses are available as public sessions (held at Little Cataraqui Conservation) or as private group training for six or more participants.

Upcoming public course dates:

June 16 - Emergency First Aid Public 

June 24 & 25 - Standard First Aid Public

September 8 & 9 - Standard First Aid Public

September 22 - Emergency First Aid Public 

November 6 & 7 - Standard First Aid Public

November 26 - Emergency First Aid Public

Sign up here: www.whss.ca/shop

RELEVANT UPDATES

_{Upcoming WHSS Courses}

_Register Your Employees Today!

All courses scheduled are offered following safe distancing protocols, as well as all other mandated safety protocols - this means fewer people being allowed to register for each course - allowing for safe participation.

Private on-site courses can also be arranged for groups of six (6) or more. Please contact Rebecca Sousa at 613.546.9814 ext. 2224 for more details.

WHSS continues to be a training partner for Working at Heights with the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). Contact us today to arrange your full or refresher course. Courses are scheduled on an as needed basis and can be held at your site or at a suitable training location.

For a complete listing of upcoming courses, click here or contact Rebecca Sousa at rsousa@whss.ca  by email or 613.546.9814 ext. 2224 for more details.

Contact Us

t: 613-546-9814 e: info@whss.ca

www.whss.ca