The safety and wellbeing of employees in the workplace is a concern in respect of employers of all sizes and across all sectors. This concern was magnified in Ontario after a quadruple fatality involving a scaffolding accident at a construction site on December 24, 2009. Subsequently, an expert advisory panel reviewed Ontario’s occupational health and safety system and concluded that employees were not receiving sufficient training about workplace roles, rights and responsibilities. The panel recommended compulsory health and safety awareness training for all workers and supervisors in Ontario. In response, the Ontario government has introduced a new regulation that creates additional obligations on employers to provide training in the workplace.

Application of the Regulation -

Ontario Regulation 297/13 Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training (the “Regulation”) is the new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the “Act”). Filed on November 14, 2013, the Regulation requires all Ontario employers in all workplaces, including those that are not considered to be high-risk, to provide their employees with basic occupational health and safety awareness training by July 1, 2014. The training’s two streams focus on supervisor and worker training.