Health and safety touch every work environment. From offices to fitness facilities, and farms to constructions sites, all workers need to understand and learn how to manage and navigate tools, hazardous materials and other aspects of their environments which may pose risks or danger to them or their colleagues. For union job workers in the trade sector, doing health and safety training is mandatory and necessary. Failure to do so can result in them not being allowed to work on site.
Why Union Job Workers Need Protection
The Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training regulation requires health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The purpose of the OHSA is to protect workers against accidents which can lead to injury in the workplace as well as illness caused by exposure to workplace hazards. The Act is made up of many programs and procedures, which provide practical guidance on how to manage health and safety issues.
Union job workers must complete health and safety training as a requirement to work and to satisfy government regulations which mandate compliance.
Let’s look at some of the specifics that make union job trade workers more susceptible to dangers and why protecting their health and keeping them safe is so important.
Safety Conditions for Union Job Workers Within the Construction Sector
Construction and other union trade workers like painters, glaziers, drywall finishers, hazmat workers and EIFS/stucco workers tend to work in places that has greater physical risks. Whether its being suspended atop buildings and cutting glass, using heavy machinery, dealing with hazardous materials, or navigating into tight corners on ladders, any misstep could result in serious injury, even possibly disabling the worker or causing death. Companies are bound to provide protection for their workers for a variety of reasons:
- It’s the Law: As discussed, governments and associations have mandated Health and Safety training to protect workers while also mitigating injury that can be costly to the health system.
- A Healthy Workforce Makes for Good Business: Injured workers lead to greater absenteeism which impacts project timelines and costs money. Workers who feel properly trained and prepared to do their job safely will do so with greater confidence which can positively affect the project and their business.
- Avoiding Lawsuits: Workers who are not provided with adequate training, equipment, and guidance to safely perform their jobs may be injured. This can leave a company exposed to lawsuits for negligence causing harm.
Types of Health and Safety Training for Union Job Workers
Trade union job workers, depending on their designation and skills, will need to take a variety of courses to satisfy Health and Safety Training. The following are a few examples:
- WHMIS: This type of training deals with hazardous materials that may have toxicity and need to be handled according to specific guidelines including required safety wear. This includes appropriate product labelling and material safety data. Industrial painters, as an example, who deal with automotive coating will need to understand the chemicals involved and adhere to safety measures.
- Working at Heights: Glaziers who find themselves on top of a building fixing or replacing glass on the roof will need to take precautions and understand some of the pitfalls of working at great heights.
- Propane in Construction: Working with propane gas requires extreme caution. Product handling instructions are critical to avoid fire hazards that can be sever in nature.
- First Aid Training (FEE): What happens when a worker is in distress and needs immediate medical attention? Of course, in an emergency, there are protocols like immediately calling 911. In the interim, if someone is choking and/or has fallen, as an example, First Aid Certified workers can apply first aid including life saving techniques where every minute counts.
These are just a few of the many types of Health and Safety courses that a worker may be required to take. Some will be general in nature while others may be specific to the role and environment.
Safety First at IUPAT
Safety is an important part of any training program. IUPAT puts safety first by striving to deliver the best health and safety training programs for member participation in all trades. That is why all members must be trained in all the mandatory health and safety programs necessary before they start working. If members do not have the required training, they will not be referred to job sites. Find out more why your safety comes first at IUPAT by contacting us today.
