Struggling with compliance on workplace violence and alcohol & drugs in the
workplace?
OTA's on-line Alcohol & Drug and Workplace Violence Toolkits can help!
TORONTO, July 5 /CNW/ - In an effort to support training compliance related workplace violence and harassment (Bill 168) as well as alcohol & drugs in the workplace, Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Corridor Interactive have partnered to deliver Ontario trucking employers toolkits to support legislative compliance. These toolkits are user friendly and most importantly, meet government requirements.
The training content for the Workplace Violence toolkit was authored by recognized experts Glenn French of the Canadian Initiative on Workplace Violence and Dr. Barbara Benoliel of Preferred Solutions. "No longer can employers ignore destructive workplace conduct, be it physical violence or harassment," states Glenn French of the Canadian Initiative, adding that "currently the spotlight is on Ontario's Bill 168 which places new and onerous obligations on all employers, regardless of size or industrial section." Effective June 15, 2010, the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act changed, placing on employers significant responsibilities to protect workers from workplace violence and other forms of abuse. This includes protections from physical acts of aggression such as assaults and threats; generalized harassment, which goes beyond the protections currently offered under the Human Rights Code and domestic violence. These are sweeping changes to current legislation, requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure employees are safe regardless of where they work and while at work.
Under the new legislation, employers are required to have in place a comprehensive violence prevention program that includes a corporate policy on violence/harassment prevention, an organizational risk assessment, reporting and investigation protocols, emergency response measures and training for all employees.
"The OTA recognized that since alcohol & drug training was delivered in the mid 1990's, there may be many new supervisors who are not compliant with the regulated training requirements. There are others who need to review their responsibilities and procedures to meet them. Distinct from the program for supervisors of regulated drivers, a separate course provides training for supervisors of non-regulated staff. Both courses support an employer's health and safety obligations," states Barb Butler of Barbara Butler and Associates. Ms. Butler went on to comment, "We recognize that the primary audience for a carrier's training program may be for supervisors of DOT regulated drivers. However, increasingly carriers are extending their alcohol & drug policies to other parts of their organization, where supervisors still need appropriate tools to implement those policies - the OTA e-learning offering provides an efficient and economical training method." Ms. Butler is Canada's preeminent alcohol & drug authority and sole author of the learning content.
ENSURING YOUR COMPLIANCE:
"Although alcohol & drug compliance and the requirements of Bill 168 appear daunting, our partnership with Corridor has resulted in the development of easily applied resource toolkits for all workplaces that have an interest in legislative compliance. These innovative products make Corridor an industry leader in e-learning," comments Joanne Benac, Vice President Membership Administration and Accounting of OTA. Training practices meet compliance requirements and it provides managers and supervisors with the necessary tools and skills to ensure legislative compliance throughout their organization. From Tips and Guidelines, through to providing leaders with the necessary forms, checklists and audit requirements; these toolkits are a leader's one-stop resource. It provides compliance in a turnkey and affordable fashion for all employees, without unnecessary complexity.
ABOUT CORRIDOR:
Corridor powers a wide range of innovative and practical applications designed to train employees on the critical workplace issues of the day. Applications cover New Employee Orientation, Leadership, Diversity, Leadership, Accessibility, Health and Safety, Hours of Work, and many more. From concept through to launch and ongoing support, Corridor's Learning Systems deliver measurable ROI.
To learn more about Bill 168 an OTA webinar has been scheduled for July 8th. To learn more about the new training programs available only to OTA members, please call Joanne Benac, Vice President Membership Administration and Accounting.
For further information: For further information: Program Contact: Joanne Benac, Vice President, Membership Administration and Accounting, [email protected], 416.249.7401 ext. 230
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