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More Red Tape ...


sledjunk

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Effective July 1, 2014, Ontario employers will have to ensure that all workers and supervisors have completed a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program. The first of its kind in North America, the new regulation mandates basic safety awareness training for all Ontario workers and supervisors – with a specific focus on small business and vulnerable workers.

 

http://www.workplacesafetynorth.ca/news/news-post/mol-announces-mandatory-safety-training-deadline-ontario-employers

 

I believe that this means that we have to have these certificates on file for ALL of our volunteers, as they are considered employees under the MOL.  How are other clubs handling this, particularly when it is already so hard to get volunteers to come out.

 

All we need is one accident without the requisite paperwork and the club (particularly the board) is sunk.

 

Opinions?  Discussions?

 

 

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I don't think not paying them makes you exempt.  I believe you are still responsible for the H & S of workers whether they are paid or not.  And I think this falls the same way.

 

That is why we still have to go through all the fuss of a formal H & S Policy and have to ensure that anyone who uses a chain saw is certified, etc.

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Not arguing having the Health & Safety Policy but the text reads "all Ontario employers .." And I don't think that includes Volunteers who aren't compensated with the exception of receiving legitimate travel reimbursement and possibly meals.

I stand to be corrected but that is what the Ministry of Labour told us a few years ago.

Agree on the chain saw Certification.

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This province sucks......is this her idea of job creation, "with specific focus on small businesses".

As for the clubs responsibility on this matter, I have no clue, but I am sure we will be told what we have to do.

Some day this fairytale will come to an end and when the dust settles, this provincial government is going to wonder why the only ones with a job are the ones they employ, this is complete and utter bs

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I went online today and did the employer certification module. Took about half an hour. I guess If I am reading the instructions correctly, I now have to get my employees to go through a similar exercise and print out their certificates. That sounds achievable for workers who will be sticking around, but I wonder what the expectation is for someone we might hire as casual labour? In the moving and storage business, as in many other businesses, there is always an element of fringe hiring, people who may work one day and find out the job's not for them. I would hope there is some allowance for a period of trial work, an induction period, before the red tape requirement kicks in. Maybe volunteers can be exempted by some loophole in the regulations?

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At our workplace, the online course was easy and the testing kind of a joke. Had certificate printed in about 20 minutes. However, for people who don't speak or read English well, there could be some problems.

 

Having done some temporary work in the past at some pretty 'fly by night' operations, (who mainly hired people who wouldn't complain about working conditions due to poor language skills) I can see where the new regulations make sense in some cases.

 

The point of law I find most interesting, is that if an employee sees another employee (work associate) doing something unsafe, they are now legally obligated to report that to a supervisor or the employer.

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Just make all of your members in your club a part owner and then they aren't considered an employee.

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My understanding is that employers also require a certificate.

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My understanding is that employers also require a certificate.

 

Indeed they do. I think we should confiscate all sharp objects including pens and pencils from all of our members until such a time as they have completed training in the safe use of these items and signed a document acknowledging they have been properly trained. Almost forgot... we need to provide education also on the safe use of a shovel and how to safely erect trail signage.

 

The MOL is rapidly becoming more of a self serving body that keep coming up with new requirements to be able to justify their own existance and hire more people. I am level 1 & 2 certified for OHSA and believe in a safe workplace however they are getting carried away.

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 Don't laugh,it's already come to that.eg: Safe use of a ladder to change a light bulb(two separate courses)

 

The MOL inspector wanted a pre-use inspection card to be used on our ladders. The user has to inspect date and sign the ladder is in safe condition before they use it. He barely even looked at our scissor lift though.

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It really shouldnt be too much of a system to create. Make them read the safety section from the groomer operating manual and make a 10 question test... I bet there is people in the rider training group that could kick this out in an hour.

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As for the clubs responsibility on this matter, I have no clue, but I am sure we will be told what we have to do.

 

 

Looks like an OFSC "guidance" matter. Look forward to further instructions.

 

I wonder if this isn't a potential 'workshop" at AGM. Hundreds of volunteers willing to learn. Prior AGM's seemed to be searching for new ideas to engage and educate. 

 

Don't get me wrong - it is 'red tape'. And I'd love to see 'certificates' and 'approvals' for every action this government takes.  But if it's a requirement, let's get'r done.

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Realistically, if it is needed in the work place, most will possess the certificate already, probably just the senior folk that don't work any longer that will need to get certified "outside the work place"

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Don't forget the youth volunteers that we are trying to get into the sport.

 

The problem is that the volunteers may have the certificates at their work, but it might be a real process to get a copy from their employers.  The other thing is how do you turn away a volunteer if they don't have the certificate :wtf:

 

I have sent an email to the OFSC asking for direction, however, I am not holding my breath waiting for an answer.

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If they are not paid they are not employees

Not employees, but still workers.

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No clear cut direction it seems from the MOL.

 

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/faqs/#volunteers

 

 

Volunteers are not covered by the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

 

Under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, 1997, some volunteers, such as volunteer firefighters are covered, but most are not.

 

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, a worker is defined in part as being “person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation”. Although this definition does not include volunteers, employers still have some responsibility for the health and safety of people visiting or helping out in their workplaces.

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No clear cut direction it seems from the MOL.

 

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/faqs/#volunteers

 

 

Volunteers are not covered by the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

 

Under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, 1997, some volunteers, such as volunteer firefighters are covered, but most are not.

 

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, a worker is defined in part as being “person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation”. Although this definition does not include volunteers, employers still have some responsibility for the health and safety of people visiting or helping out in their workplaces.

 

Most if not all Volunteer Firefighters are paid anyway.

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Looks like an OFSC "guidance" matter. Look forward to further instructions.

 

I wonder if this isn't a potential 'workshop" at AGM. Hundreds of volunteers willing to learn. Prior AGM's seemed to be searching for new ideas to engage and educate. 

 

Don't get me wrong - it is 'red tape'. And I'd love to see 'certificates' and 'approvals' for every action this government takes.  But if it's a requirement, let's get'r done.

 Our club president told us that we were supposed to do this or that to remain in conformity. My answer was "if we did everything that we were supposed to do,we would never get anything done." I still stand by that reasoning both as a volunteer and in business.

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 Our club president told us that we were supposed to do this or that to remain in conformity. My answer was "if we did everything that we were supposed to do,we would never get anything done." I still stand by that reasoning both as a volunteer and in business.

 

The only problem with the business aspect is that the MOL laws wield a big stick with a big penalty. God forbid it ever happens but if someone were seriously injured or killed at my site and the company was found negligent the law does allow for me personally to go to jail.

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No clear cut direction it seems from the MOL.

 

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/faqs/#volunteers

 

 

Volunteers are not covered by the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

 

Under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, 1997, some volunteers, such as volunteer firefighters are covered, but most are not.

 

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, a worker is defined in part as being “person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation”. Although this definition does not include volunteers, employers still have some responsibility for the health and safety of people visiting or helping out in their workplaces.

 

 

That is the issue we have.  There are no dangers to our employees from our office base location.  However, how do you provide safety training when they will be visiting and working at a customer site we have never even been to?    

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 All valid points but to the dismay of the anti-bullying laws,I let the employees know that a dead employee is cheaper than a wounded one.If they don't work safely,they don't work here.Unfortunatly common sense seems to be a back ordered commodity.

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 Our club president told us that we were supposed to do this or that to remain in conformity. My answer was "if we did everything that we were supposed to do,we would never get anything done." I still stand by that reasoning both as a volunteer and in business.

The downside of that attitude is that the club president and possibly other members of the club BOD could be PERSONALLY liable should an accident occur and the MOL decide to press charges. 

 

Sure inspires me to continue at the board level :icon_cankick:

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