In this issue:

 Be Prepared
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 B asic 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.
Visit our website   to register for the Part 1 or Part 2 Certification Course.

IN THE NEWS
Second Conviction for a Mushroom Farm's Failure to Protect Worker


January 31, 2019

A  collision between a mobile pallet truck and a reversing forklift resulted in a critical injury to a worker. Following a guilty plea, Monaghan Mushroom Ltd was fined $90,000. The court also imposed a 25 percent surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime .

Injury to a Worker Results in Fines for Toronto Manufacturer, Director


January 30, 2019

worker received a permanent injury while assessing a sugar-filling line at the company's food blending and packaging co-manufacturing industrial facility in Scarborough. Following a guilty plea, Rec Pak Ltd. was fined $60,000 and one of the Directors of the company $3,500. The court also imposed a 25 per-cent surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime. 
Is Your Workplace Prepared for an Emergency?
Emergency Preparedness Tips 
Do your workers know what to do in an emergency? Whether it is extreme weather warnings, a power outage or even a fire, you and your employees should always be prepared. If your employees drive work vehicles you should ensure the vehicle has an emergency kit provided. It can be as simple as containing bottled water, blankets, a flashlight and non-perishable foods.

Click here for more Emergency Preparedness Tips from the City of Kingston. 

We can help you with your emergency plan policies and procedures. For more information contact our office. Click here.


Do You Have Seasonal Employees?
Onboarding Process
 

Whether you are hiring a new employee or rehiring someone who has already worked with your company in the past, you should always provide mandatory legislated training and company specific orientation. Ensure your new team members are familiarized with any equipment they will be using and ensure that they have access to the correct Personal Protective Equipment that is required.

If an employee has previously worked for your company, ensure that their training is up-to-date and review any new policies and procedures with them, or changes to previous policies and procedures.
 
For more information on onboarding practices and procedures, contact our office.


Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification Training
Ministry of Labour Proposes Changes











The Ontario Government has proposed the following changes to JHSC Training Standards:
  • Allowing Part One training to be completed online, in addition to the three-day course offered in person.
  • Extending the time to complete the second part of training to within 12 months, rather the current six-month time frame.
  • Removing the option to request an extension from the Ministry of Labour.
Regardless of this change, Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions will continue to offer in-person, three-day Part One Basic Certification courses for those who prefer a hands-on environment. Feedback received from our clients consistently indicated that they prefer the intimate, in-person course environment to learn the much-needed legislation. We will also be partnering with our online training provider to look at the online possibilities.


Increased Fines in the Workplace
Are you in Compliance?

When legislation changes, so do the fines. New fines have been introduced over the past year from the Ministry of Labour. The maximum fine for an individual is now $100,000 per charge and/or twelve (12) months in prison. For a corporation, the maximum fine is $1,500,000 per charge and/or twelve (12) months in prison. 

Changes in ticket amounts came into effect on July 1, 2018. Ticketed offences increased to the following amounts:

Worker $250 - $350 (from previous $200)
Supervisor $450 - $550 (from previous $200)
Employer $550 - $650 (from previous $300)

New fines of $550 were introduced and may be imposed for Employers, when their employees and supervisors have not completed or do not have a valid certificate for Health & Safety Awareness Training, Working at Heights Training and/or Joint Health & Safety Committee Training. Fines are also imposed for not maintaining records of these training courses.

At WHSS, we provide all of these training courses. For a list of dates, click here.


Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions is Celebrating 18 Years
Limited Time Offer













March 2019 marks the 18th anniversary for Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions. To celebrate, we are offering 18% off select services and training courses when you register during the month of March.

In February 2018, Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions was featured in ReFINEd Kingston Magazine. To view the full story click here
.

Please contact Christina Soos for details.


2019 Safety Groups
Registration Now Open!
Become part of our Kingston based, multi-sector Safety Group! The Kingston: Partners for a Safe Community-sponsored group, provides easy access to health and safety experts, guidance on following the Five Step process to implementing and improving your health and safety program, as well as optional training courses throughout the year. For the fifth year in a row, the KPSC-sponsored Safety Group was the best performing group in Ontario. On November 20, 2018 our group members were rewarded for their participation in the 2017 program and each received an equal share of an over $220,000 rebate from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

View our brochure or contact our office at 613.546.9814 x.225 for more information.


Employment Standards
How to Remain Compliant
Employment Standards Officers with the Ministry of Labour perform proactive inspections throughout Ontario businesses to enforce the Employment Standards legislation. During the 2017/2018 fiscal year, 3507 proactive inspections were conducted.
 
The top 5 violations among inspected businesses as follows:
  1. Public Holidays/Public Holiday Pay
  2. Hours of Work: Excess Daily or Weekly
  3. Overtime Pay
  4. Vacation Pay: Written Agreements
  5. Record Keeping
If you have questions related to Human Resources or the recent changes to the Employment Standards Act, contact our Assistant Consultant - Human Resources, Sarah Salisbury, by calling our office, or via email. She can also assist you in creating your Human Resources policies and practices.

 
 Ministry of Labour Blitzes
Upcoming Provincial / Eastern Ontario Blitzes
Program
Focus
Sector / Business
 Date
Health & Safety
Machine Guarding
Construction
Feb. 1 - Mar. 29, 2019
Health & Safety
Internal Responsibility System
Construction 
June 1/18 - March 31, 2019
Health & Safety
IRS - Newly Registered Small Businesses
 Industrial
  April 1/18 - March 31, 2019
Health & Safety
IRS - Workplace Violence Prevention  
Healthcare
April 1/18 - March 29, 2019
Health & Safety
Slips, Trips and Falls
All Sectors
March 18 - July 12, 2019

View the full schedule  here .

For help preparing for an upcoming inspection,  contact us  today. 


Upcoming WHSS Courses
Register your employees today!
Course
Date
Time
JHSC Certification Part 2 - Healthcare
March 28 - 29, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 2 - Industrial
April 11-12, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 1 - Basic
May 1-3, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 2 - Healthcare
May 30 - 31, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 1 - Basic
June 12 - 14, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 2 - Industrial
June 20 - 21, 2019
8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Private on-site courses can also be arranged for groups of six (6) or more. Please contact Christina Soos for details.

For a complete listing of upcoming courses, click here.

Contact Us

t:   613-546-9814
e:   info@whss.ca
      www.whss.ca

"Specializing in incident prevention and mitigation strategies."

- Wiebke Wilkens