WCB Alberta - WorkSight November Newsletter

The November issue of the WCB WorkSight Newsletter is full of great information and resources regarding the benefits of working with a Safety Association or Certifying Partner (CP).

MHSA is both a Safety Association as well as carries the designation of Certifying Partner. You are automatically a member of the MHSA if you are employed with an organization that pays premiums to the Alberta WCB in one of the following rate groups:

30100- Steel/Metal Fabrication

62500- Steel Service

Companies who don’t belong to one of these WCB codes can join the MHSA for a small fee and receive all of the benefits of membership.

You can find more information on the types of Safety Training we offer, as well as information regarding COR, and our MSO Program on our website.

November is Family Violence Awareness Month

Alberta Labour and Immigration has a new information bulletin about domestic violence as a workplace hazard.

Did you know?

• Domestic Violence is included in the definition of violence in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.

• If an employer knows that a domestic violence incident might come into the workplace, they must take steps to protect workers.

• Workers must report to their employer or supervisor if they think domestic violence might be, or is, occurring at the work site.

For more information on domestic violence in the workplace please see the information bulletin provided by Alberta Labour and Immigration.

MHSA’s new Workplace Violence and Harassment course is designed to assist participants in developing effective violence and harassment prevention plans for their workplace. Our available upcoming courses can be seen on our Course Calendar.

---

Testimonial from participants:

“I would definitely encourage all companies to send all Supervisors, Managers & Committee Members to this course. Really Great!” - Ashley Corcoran - Nexus Energy Technologies Inc.

Guidelines for Safety Training of Overhead Crane Operators and Supervisors

Here is a link to Guidelines for Safety Training of Overhead Crane Operators and Supervisors - OHS information for workers, supervisors and employers.

These guidelines present minimum recommended operator training requirements for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of overhead cranes. 

The MHSA Overhead Crane Operator training program helps employers meet their legislative obligations with up-to-date training materials and a hands-on approach to classroom and practical training of your workers and supervisors. The program can be delivered at MHSA locations in Rocky View, Red Deer and Edmonton or at employer sites anywhere in Alberta. We also offer a Train the Trainer program. More information is available under the “Courses” tab on our website. You can also view our Course Calendar for upcoming course dates.

WCB Policy Consultation - Feedback Required!

WCB is currently heading into the second phase of their employer services policy review - and they require some input from our members! Here you will find more information about the policies being reviewed and how you can provide your feedback and suggestions.

The feedback from the last consultation is also posted online, here. This posting will be open for consultation until December 2nd. After that, they will use the feedback to draft the revised policies, which will be sent to the Board of Directors for approval early in 2020.

Edmonton Regional Members Update Meeting

The Edmonton office will be holding their Regional Members Update Meeting on Friday, October 18th at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center South Edmonton.

Registration will begin at 9:00, with the meeting starting at 10:00 and running until 2:00. Lunch will be included in the $25.00 +GST cost.

Along with the MHSA regional update, there will be speakers from Pinchin speaking on Air Quality, the Millard Center speaking on Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Manufacturing Industry, as well as updates from WCB and OHS. We will also be introducing our new Regional Manager, Jacob Wannop, to the Edmonton Region. Some of you may know him from previous experiences as he will be moving from the Red Deer office to Edmonton.

To register, or for more information, please email Kylee by October 15th.

2019 Golf Tournament Fundraising Announcement

With the generous assistance of our 18 Tournament Sponsors, and 80 Golfers, the MHSA was able to raise $10,000 in support of STARS Air Ambulance through our 2019 Charity Golf Tournament in August.  

Stars is a charitable, non-profit organization funded by their allies: individuals, organizations, businesses, event partners, and governments. Each base costs approximately 10 Million dollars per year to fund! Last year, between the 3 Alberta bases, they flew a total of 1,434 missions.  

Thank you all so much for your continued support and generosity. 2019 was our most successful year yet!

Rocky View Office Construction

If visiting the Rocky View office please park on the West side of the building only.

Additionally, building access is through the West and/or North entrance.

Retirement Announcement

Brad Jones, Northern Regional Manager of the Edmonton office has made the decision to retire.

He has been involved with the association for more than 20 years and has worked hard in his various roles. Ice time and tee times are in the future and we wish him the very best in this next stage of life.

WCB-Alberta Worksight Magazine

WCB has introduced an electronic edition of the Worksight magazine.

This employer-focused publication can be found here.

This publication includes timely news and developments about the workers’ compensation system, tips for managing your WCB account, and best practices for supporting injured workers as they recover and re-enter the workforce. 

Release of NEW Course: Workplace Violence and Harassment

Harassment and violence have become increasingly more present at work-sites. So much so, that OHS has put a focus on correcting this behaviour in Alberta workplaces.

Do you know that OHS requires that every work-site have Harassment and Violence prevention plans?

Are you in compliance?

The MHSA Workplace Violence and Harassment training course teaches employers, supervisors and workers how to effectively identify and react to the hazards of violence and harassment in their workplace by creating and implementing prevention plans.

Students will learn to:
- Identify violence or harassment through observation and hazard recognition,
- Prevent acts of violence or harassment by developing and implementing prevention plans, including policies and procedures,
- React effectively to violence or harassment by utilizing training and response plans.

In addition to compliance with legislation, there may be ethical and financial impacts to a company should violence or harassment be left unchecked. We all have an obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of those at the work-site.

Register for the MHSA Workplace Violence and Harassment training course today. For more information click here.