In this issue:


Everything Your Workplace Needs to Know for Staying Compliant in 2018!
JOINT HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE CERTIFICATION TRAINING
Wilkens Health and Safety Solutions (WHSS) is the only Ministry of Labour (MOL) 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
Ontario Hospital Grounds Now Completely Smoke-Free
January 1, 2018

As of January 1, 2018, you must not smoke or hold lighted tobacco on the outdoor grounds of a hospital - except where a designated smoking area is available. You must also not smoke - and within a 9 metre radius of any entrance or exit of a hospital.

Ontario Becomes First Province to Cover Prescriptions for Children and Youth
January 2, 2018

Prescription medications are now free for everyone under the age of 25 in Ontario. As of January 1, the province has made the biggest expansion to medicare in Ontario in a generation, providing drug coverage to over four million children and youth across the province. The launch of OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare is a national milestone as Ontario becomes the first province to provide prescription drug coverage to children and youth.

Federal Government Moving Towards a Full Ban on Asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Products
January 2, 2018

The federal government is moving towards a full ban on asbestos and asbestos-containing products by the end of 2017. The ban would align Canada with more than 50 other countries. One issue that will remain after the ban kicks in is how much asbestos is still out there in buildings. While asbestos containing materials in a building can be harmless when encased or managed properly, accidental disturbances and improper work continue to occur. 

Enhancing Workplace Health & Safety
Increased fines for employers and workers
Ontario is enhancing protection for workers by increasing the maximum fines for individuals and businesses that don't meet workplace health and safety standards. 

As of December 14, 2017, the maximum fines for an offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act increased from $25,000 to $100,000 for an individual or unincorporated business (which had not changed since 1979) and  $500,000 to $1,500,000 for corporations (which had not changed since 1990).

Read more about the changes here. 

Employment Standards Tip
Minimum wage increase
As of January 1, 2018, minimum wage rates changed in Ontario.  

If this change falls partway through a pay period, an employer must show 2 separate entries on wage statements that shows both the hours or days paid at the old rate and the hours or days showing the increased rate.

For more information, contact our Employment Standards Consultant , Patti Conboy.

A Plan for Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs
Effective January 1, 2018
Along with the minimum wage increase, the Employment Standards Act, 2000 has been amended to include various changes.
These changes include:
  • Equal pay for equal work for part-time, casual, and contract workers
  • Fairer scheduling rules
  • Minimum of three weeks' vacation after five years of service with the same employer
  • Expanded personal emergency leave
  • Up to 17 weeks of job protected leave for domestic or sexual violence experiences
For full details on changes or additions to the Employment Standards Act, 2000, refer to our Special Edition Employment Standards Act Newsletter.

Mental Stress and the New Landscape at the WSIB
  WSIB introduces Chronic Mental Stress policy
As of January 1, 2018, employees who are appropriately diagnosed are entitled to receive benefits through the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) for Chronic Mental Stress (CMS). There have also been revisions to the existing Traumatic Mental Stress (TMS) policy.

Entitlement Criteria:

A worker is entitled to benefits under the insurance plan for chronic or traumatic mental stress arising out of and in the course of the worker's employment.

A worker is not entitled to benefits for mental stress caused by decisions or actions of the worker's employer relating to the worker's employment, including a decision to change the work to be performed or the working conditions, to discipline the worker or to terminate the employment. 

Refer to the WSIB's FAQ's page for more details. 

Plans to Increase Support for Nurses
  Presumption of post-traumatic stress disorder
Ontario is proposing to increase  first respon der support to include all front-line nurses who provide direct patient care and suffer from post-traumatic stress disor der (PTSD) by expediting their access to benefits, resources, and timely treatment through the implementation of a presumption that PTSD is work-related. 

For more information on the planned changes, click here. 

Dimensions of Wellness

  Have you set your New Year's resolutions? 
The start of a new year is usually the time when people set fresh goals and change bad habits. Most of these goals revolve around a person's wellness.

The "Eight Dimensions of Wellness" theory suggests that there are eight different areas where people need to be balanced and healthy in order to have complete wellness. According to this theory, these eight areas are:

1. Emotional
2. Environmental
3. Financial
4. Intellectual
5. Occupational
6. Physical
7. Social
8. Spiritual

To read more on how to master each of the eight areas of wellness, click here. 

"10 Minute Talks"- Winter 2018 Edition
Wilkens Health & Safety Solutions has the latest updates vital to your workplace!
Join us on January 17, 2018, at Toast & Jam who will be hosting the Wilkens Health & Safety Solutions team for our fourth "10 Minute Talks" event from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm.

The evening's discussion will give you an opportunity to network and discuss recent changes to both the occupational health & safety and the employment standards legislations. 

Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak with our experts about vital health & Safety and employment standards issues in your workplace. 

For more information, contact Holly today! 

Safety Groups Recruitment 2018
Interested in joining a WSIB Safety Groups Program?
The WSIB Safety Groups program is a great resource to help organizations establish a comprehensive health and safety program. The program is a performance-based rebate program developed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). 

If you wish to join KPSC's multi-sector Safety Group, please fill out the applications  and submit by fax to 613-546-5513 or  email .
 
For more information please  contact us or visit the Wilkens Health & Safety Solutions Website . 
 
 Ministry of Labour Blitzes
Upcoming Provincial / Eastern Ontario Blitzes
The 2018 workplace inspection blitz schedule has been announced. Ensure your workplace is prepared for upcoming focuses:

Program
Focus
Sector / Business
 Date
Health & Safety
Machine Guarding and Electrical Hazards
Industrial
Jan. 15 - Feb. 28, 2018
Health & Safety Compliance on PPE & High Visibility Clothing Mining Feb. 1 - Mar. 31, 2018

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 -  Health Care
Jan. 11 - 12, 2018
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
ESA "Need to Know"- Wages
Jan. 16, 2018
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Working at Heights
Jan. 18, 2018
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 1 Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2018 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
ESA "Need to Know"- Hours of Work
Feb. 6, 2018
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Essential Needs to Know Overview - ESA
Feb. 7, 2018 8:30 am - 11:00 am
Working at Heights Feb. 15, 2018 8:00 pm - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 2 - Office & Light Manufacturing Feb. 22 - 23, 2018 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
ESA "Need to Know"- Public Holidays & Vacation
 Mar. 6, 2018 8:30 am - 10:00 am
Working at Heights
 Mar. 15, 2018 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
JHSC Certification Part 1
 Mar. 19- 21, 2018 8:30 am - 4:30 pm


 For a complete listing of upcoming courses, click
here .
Contact Us

t:   613-546-9814
      www.whss.ca

"Specializing in incident prevention and mitigation strategies."

- Wiebke Wilkens