July 13, 2018
Important Audit-Related Changes

In June 2018, the Certifying Partner group adopted several provincial Standards that had been revised to more closely align with new OH&S legislation:
  • Partnerships Audit Standard
  • OHS Management Systems Training Content
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Auditor Training Content

In addition, the audit tool received approval on June 25, 2018. A PDF version of the new tool is available here, so that you can view the changes and prepare for your 2019 audit. We are working on updating our Excel and eCompliance versions of the audit tool and will make an announcement and update our website as soon as this is completed. This tool will be mandatory as of January 1, 2019.

We are also working to update our Health and Safety Management Systems, Health and Safety Auditing, and Audit Refresher courses this summer. If we receive approval from Partnerships, all training taking place as of this fall will include the revised information. Updated manuals will be provided to auditors who have already attended training this year. The new glossary of terms is available here.
Scoring Changes:
Content Changes

Element 1: Management Leadership and Organizational Commitment
  • Safety policy to include declaration of commitment to health and safety that addresses physical, psychological, and social well-being (1.01)
  • Removal of contractors from 1.03
  • Addition of understanding of OHS rights, verified by employee interviews (1.06a)
  • Removal of frequency requirement for management participation in meetings (1.12)

Element 2: Hazard Assessment
  • Requirement for formal hazard identification when new process introduced (2.09)

Element 3: Hazard Control
  • Addition of 2 documentation questions about Violence Prevention Policy and Procedures (3.11 and 3.12) and one new question about violence prevention training (3.13)
  • Addition of 2 documentation questions about Harassment Prevention Policy and Procedures (3.14, 3.15), 1 new question about harassment training (3.16) and 1 new question about review (3.17)

*NEW* Element 4: Joint Work Site Health and Safety Committees (HSC) and Health and Safety Representatives (HS Representatives)
  • Terms of reference
  • Policy or procedure meeting legislated requirements
  • Establishment per terms of reference
  • Appointment of HS representative
  • Duties for the committee or representative
  • Training
  • Understanding of duties and responsibilities
  • Participation in health and safety activities
  • Addressing employee concerns
  • Employee concerns and complaints process
  • Recommendations to management
  • Resolving complaints
  • Holding meetings per terms of reference
  • Completing inspections
  • Posting of names

Element 5: Qualifications, Orientation, and Training
  • Removal of contractor questions
  • Addition of OHS rights to orientation content (5.02)
  • New question on inclusion of practical demonstration for job-specific training (5.06)

*NEW* Element 6: Other Parties at or in the Vicinity of the Work Site
Addition of new element which includes other employers, self-employed persons, and external work site parties.
  • Policy addressing protection of others
  • Process for selecting and evaluating contractors
  • Process for monitoring contractors
  • Orientation of visitors and others
  • Communication with external work site parties re: responsibilities, controls, changes
  • Communication with contractors re: health and safety policy
  • Information made available to external work site parties
  • Process to address non-compliance

Element 7: Inspections
  • Addition of all areas of operation to inspection policy (7.01)

Element 8: Emergency Response
  • Addition of question re: employees understanding of their responsibilities in emergency response (8.04 – used to be embedded in another question)

Element 9: Incident Investigation
  • Addition of work refusals to reporting (9.01, 9.02, 9.03) and investigations (9.05)
  • Addition re: worker participation in investigations (9.08)
  • Addition re: ensuring investigations completed per procedures (9.12)

Element 10: System Administration
  • Addition re: health and safety information being readily available to employees (10.02)
  • Addition of action plan COR maintenance option to annual evaluation question (10.05 and 10.06)

Questions? We are here to help! Call 1 (800) 267-9764 and speak to Shannon or Krystal. Email inquiries should be sent to shannon@amhsa.net. 
Training

There is room in the September 4-5, 2018 Sherwood Park offering of Audit Refresher.

Training new auditors? There is still room in the following offerings:
  • Health and Safety Management Systems - October 9-10 in Calgary
  • Health and Safety Management Systems - October 23-24 in Sherwood Park
  • Health and Safety Auditing - October 25-26 in Sherwood Park

If you have questions about your training requirements, direct inquiries to Shannon.

Call 1 (800) 267-9764 to register!