July 15, 2014
The Ministry of Labour (MOL) is proposing changes to the Joint Health and Safety Certification Training Standard, with an implementation date of early 2015.

Joint Health and Safety Committees are required in workplaces where 20 or more workers are regularly employed, while workplaces with fewer than 20 workers require a health and safety representative, but not a committee.
The new standards and certification requirements would include Part One training, general to all workplaces, from an approved training provider; and Part Two training that would be sector-specific and be formalized with training programs taken from approved training providers.

Under the current standard, participants can become certified with Part One and Part Two in three days. Under the new standard, completion will take five days.

The Ministry also anticipates that the Chief Prevention Officer will establish new requirements that all certified members take refresher training within three years of certification to maintain certification status.  

More information may be found at the ministry website http://gfl.me/x28E.