Evaluating the impact of mandatory awareness training in Ontario

On July 1, 2014, a new occupational health and safety requirement took effect in Ontario. All employers in the province now have to provide employees and supervisors with training about the duties and rights of workers, employers and supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA); the roles of joint health and safety committees; the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board; workplace hazards and workplace violence, controlled products (if applicable) and occupational illness. In this plenary, Dr. Peter Smith shares the results of a study that examined differences in the level of self-reported occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness and empowerment among employed workers in Ontario before and after the introduction of the mandatory training. He also discusses the implications of the results for future province-wide initiatives focusing on the primary prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses.