Ontario Canada Labour Law Compliance Alert: Promoting Safer and Healthier Ontario Canada Workplaces. Back in 2010 an Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) recommended basic health and safety awareness training programs for all Ontario workplaces. Based on the findings the Ministry of Labour proposes to introduce new regulations requiring employers to ensure all workers and supervisors complete mandatory OHS awareness training programs.
It is anticipated that the proposed regulation will be filed on or before July 1, 2013 and would be effective January 1, 2014. 
Based on the Expert Advisory Panel’s report awareness training programs would be required to contain the following:
Worker Awareness
- Rights and responsibilities of workers and supervisors under the OSH Act
- Roles of workplace parties, health and safety representatives, and joint health and safety committees
- Roles of the Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, and H&S partners
- Hazard recognition
- Right to be informed of hazards
- Reference to an employer’s obligations to provide information and instruction to workers about controlled products as required under (WHMIS) of the OSH Act
- Latency and illness related to occupational disease
Supervisor Awareness
- Rights and responsibilities of workers and supervisors under the OSH Act
- Roles of workplace parties, health and safety representatives, and joint health and safety committees
- Roles of the Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, and Health and Safety partners
- Recognition, assessment, control and evaluation of hazards
- Where resources and assistance are available
The consultation period ended February 11, 2013. Compliance Poster Company’s Legal Research and Labor Law Compliance Team will keep you posted as the regulatory process progresses.