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When a worker dies or is critically injured in a preventable workplace tragedy it hits hard. Whether or not they were our loved ones it still strikes close to home.

Solutions to those same uncontrolled workplace hazards that can rob us of a loved one or their ability to earn a living are also found close to home. Our collective, ‘buy Canadian’ response to recent bullying tactics levelled at our trade agreements and national sovereignty demonstrates our capacity, resilience, and motivation to draw on our better instincts. When we do this and work together in search of solutions it helps safeguard all of us.

On April 28 workers, their families, labour councils, unions and community partners will gather at Day of Mourning events across Ontario to remember workers injured, killed, or made ill because of hazardous work and unhealthy environments, and they will reflect and recommit to finding solutions to secure safer, healthier workplaces and communities.

ATTEND A DAY OF MOURNING EVENT IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

Towards safer, healthier work

Protecting workers’ lives and livelihoods has never been more important. Seeking home grown solutions to these challenges and others, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) has focused its 2025 Day of Mourning communications around the theme “Safeguarding worker lives and livelihoods: CLOSE TO HOME.”

For WHSC executive director, Andrew Mudge, the Day of Mourning is a sombre reminder of loss but also an opportunity to remember our many hard-won gains including health and safety laws. “Workers and their representatives struggle to improve workplace health and safety protections beyond the minimums provided by law. Many fight to secure even those basic safeguards.” In these uncertain times, Mudge wants to remind workers that WHSC has their back. “WHSC exists to provide workers with the training and support they need to fight for safe and healthy work. Governments at all levels need to demonstrate that, along with a strong economy, they will also fight for workers’ lives and livelihoods by enforcing their right to safe, healthy work.”

The Canadian Labour Congress first declared April 28 a National Day of Mourning in 1986. The Parliament of Canada would officially recognize the Day with passage of the Workers Mourning Day Act in 1991. Ontario’s Legislative Assembly followed suit in 2016 when it passed the Workers Day of Mourning Act. Today the Day is recognized in more than 100 countries around the world where it is often observed as Workers’ Memorial Day.

WHSC Day of Mourning Resources

Visit our dedicated Day of Mourning web page. We will update our events listing as additional information becomes available. Plan to attend at least one event.

Download and share WHSC Day of Mourning resources:2025 Day of Mourning brochure Safeguarding worker lives and livelihoods. Close to home.A list of Day of Mourning events across OntarioTowards a more accurate picture of worker disability, disease, and death.To achieve their goal of safer, healthier work and environments workers and their representatives require comprehensive instructor-led learning in real-time, in-person or virtual classrooms. WHSC training is always led in real time by an experienced, WHSC-qualified instructor to ensure critical learning is achieved. WHSC virtual classrooms are highly effective, but in-person training remains the gold standard.
 
WHSC coordinates training delivery through regional service hubs. This allows us to offer in-person courses in communities across the province including at our regional training facilities in Hamilton, London, Markham, Ottawa and Sudbury.

WHSC offers essential and legally mandated training such as joint health & safety committee certification, GHS-WHMIS, workplace violence and harassment, supervisor awareness and competency, and worker health and safety awareness.

REGISTER FOR ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING.

Need training in French? Check out our extensive French catalogue or contact WHSC Training Services Representative, Christopher Gervais at cgervais@whsc.on.ca or 613-407-2187.

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November 26, 2024

Research suggests working at heights (WAH) training that is mandatory and standardized results in safer work on Ontario construction sites. The challenge though is to ensure all construction projects where workers are at heights fully comply with WAH training obligations, including ensuring workers they employ complete refresher training every three years. Learn how Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) training can help with compliance.    Working at heights (WAH) training certificates expire three years from the date of successful completion of an approved training program.   Ontario’s training regulation requires employers ensure workers they employ on construction projects complete standardized WAH training, approved by the government’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO), before they work at heights and use fall protection equipment and systems. To remain in compliance, employers must ensure workers complete approved WAH refresher training within three years of their original training and every three years thereafter. REGISTER TODAY FOR CPO-APPROVED WHSC WAH or WAH REFRESHER TRAINING Standardized training works…but work remains Research undertaken by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) looking at the impact of these mandated training requirements confirms standardized training results in safer work. In fact, 90 per cent of training participants surveyed after two years of the initial training in 2017 believe mandatory training made working at heights on construction projects safer. And indeed, it has. IWH research found lost time injury claim incident rates from 2017 through 2019 declined by 19 per cent compared to rates in 2012 through 2014 prior to the introduction of standardized training.    Still, falls from heights, whether from a ladder, a roof, scaffolding or other work surface, remain the leading cause of serious and fatal injuries for workers in the construction sector. In fact, as reported by Ontario’s chief coroner in December 2023, 40 per cent of worker deaths on construction sites over the last five years are the result of falls from heights.   Its clear work remains preparing workers, supervisors and others to better understand and address the many fall hazards on construction sites and be competent to provide and safely use fall protection equipment and systems. Fully complying with WAH training obligations is a good next step. WHSC training can help Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC), Ontario’s only government-designated occupational health and safety (OHS) training centre and among the first providers to gain approval to deliver standardized WAH training, can help now.   Both our initial WAH and WAH refresher training is conducted entirely in-person, and led by highly experienced WHSC-qualified instructors who ensure this life saving learning is achieved. Participants in either program will:  explore hazards of WAH, basic OHS rights and duties along with relevant regulations governing fall arrest hazards, fall protection equipment and WAH projects,learn about the use, inspection, limitations and storage for travel restraint, fall restricting and fall arrest systems, andgain hands-on experience on fall prevention equipment and systems and key components of a fall rescue plan and emergency procedures too. REGISTER TODAY FOR WAH OR WAH REFRESHER TRAINING AT A LOCATION NEAR YOU Don’t see a location or training date that works for you? Contact any one of our Training Services Representatives (TSRs) located in communities across Ontario. Don’t work on a construction project, but work at heights? Although workers in other sectors are not required to complete CPO-approved training, employers are nevertheless required to provide similar instruction to prevent this significant workplace hazard. For instance, a full one third of all worker deaths related to falls from heights happen in industrial regulated workplaces. Be sure and talk to one of our TSRs about your training options in these circumstances too. Access related resources Standardized working at heights training improves safety, study Prioritizing health and safety in construction. WHSC has training for that! WHSC working at heights resources    Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg. 297/13) WHSC is a leading provider of many other mandatory and essential programs for the construction sector. Need other essential and legally mandated training such as joint health & safety committee certification, GHS-WHMIS, workplace violence and harassment, and supervisor awareness and competency? Check out our complete in-person and virtual training schedule. Don’t forget Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is also currently undertaking proactive workplace visits to ensure WHMIS compliance. Need more information? Contact a WHSC training services representative in your area Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca Visit: whsc.on.ca Connect with and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube

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Do you know an Ontario high school student off to college or university this coming fall who could benefit from occupational health and safety awareness and maybe even some cash?  
 
If so, you will want to advise them the annual Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC) Student Scholarship Contest is now accepting applications. This scholarship initiative, in its 22^nd year, seeks to inform young people of the risks to their safety and health at work and their many legal rights that when acted upon can help ensure employers and supervisors meet their significant obligations to protect workers. The right to know, to participate, to refuse, to be trained and be competently supervised are just some of these rights.

This year applicants are asked to write an essay sharing their understanding of these rights and any experience they or someone they know had relating to unsafe and unhealthy work and acting on any of these rights. 

New workers at risk

“Research evidence and the experiences of workers suggest they will have many stories to share, as new workers, many of whom are students, are at greatest risk of suffering an acute injury,” explains WHSC executive director, Andrew Mudge. In fact, these at-risk, often under-trained and inexperienced workers are four times more likely to suffer an injury in the first month of work compared to those with more than one-year experience. This includes those new to the workforce, new to a specific job or task and even new to the country. 
 
Canadian researchers have also raised serious red flags about exposure to carcinogens among young workers, particularly those employed in construction, farming, and other outdoor occupations. The researchers offered that young workers exposed to workplace carcinogens are especially vulnerable because they may be unable to recognize and assess hazardous exposures. Even when they can, they often fear employer reprisals for speaking out about these exposures despite the fact employers cannot fire or discipline any worker for doing so.  
 
“Effective training can help workers gain better insight into the hazards they might face, their legal rights, and where to turn for help, says Mudge. “Unfortunately, many workers either don’t have access or the training they receive is inadequate.”

Inadequate training

Consider, for instance, the employer duty to ensure workers and supervisors complete an occupational health and safety awareness program that meets the regulatory requirements outlined in Ontario Regulation 297/13. According to research undertaken by Ontario-based Institute for Work and Health (IWH),
this awareness training is “not effective in increasing awareness and empowerment.” In short, it fails to meet the goals established by the Ontario government including increasing workers’ and supervisors’ knowledge of basic rights and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and heighten awareness of basic workplace health and safety issues.   
 
Equally concerning are the results of a recent Angus Reid survey of more than 1,000 Canadian business owners, managers, and decision-makers undertaken from Feb. 26 to March 11, 2024. Just 74 per cent of respondents said their company has safety training. This means more than one in four employers don’t offer any training failing to meet a significant legal obligation. In smaller workplaces lack of compliance was reported to be even more pronounced. 

Training compliance and quality matter

“Many employers are clearly not aware of their training obligations including basic health and safety awareness and WHMIS or worse are simply turning a blind eye,” says Mudge. “Perhaps it’s time the government considers renewing awareness campaigns about these obligations as well as strengthening enforcement initiatives. They might also consider reviewing training standards for worker and supervisor awareness and implementing standards for WHMIS and other mandatory programs to help ensure quality control.”
 
Workers Health and Safety Centre, Ontario’s only government-designated training centre, remains committed to offering quality training that goes beyond minimum requirements and meets the needs and obligations of all workplace parties. Deliver the wrong information or not enough and the harm workers face may be heightened. This is especially true of vulnerable workers, including those new to work many of whom are students.   

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