Workplace Health & Safety Training
  • ALL courses currently VIRTUAL - Instructor Led (Zoom)
  • Onsite training a great option. If you don't see a course or date that works for you contact AFPA.
  • June 10 or Aug 12 - Hazard Assessment & Control - $225 NEW 1/2 day format ( 4 hrs)
  • July 15-Incident & Accident Investigation - $225 NEW 1/2 day format (4 hrs)
  • July 21-Roles & Responsibilities for Managers/Supervisors - $375
  • April 29-Joint Health & Safety Committee/Rep. -WAS $375 LAST CALL COVID Special $275
  • June 24 - Joint Health & Safety Committee/Rep - $375
  • Auditor - April 27-28 - $600

Roles & Responsibilities and JHS Committee are both legislated requirements for compliance. OHS Officers are definitely looking at JHSC being in place, Managers/Supervisors being aware of their ethical, moral and legal obligations, competency, psychological awareness, etc.

Food Safety & Quality Training
GMP, Preventive Controls & HACCP Implementation - $800 - virtual - instructor led
  • May 4-5 - still 1 spot available.
  • July 14-15
  • September 29-30
  • December 8-9


We are working on a fall lineup of many more options for food safety courses!

SQF v9 - Implementing - course dates coming soon - melody@afpa.com to be the first to know!
Companies preferring personalized in-house training sessions OR consulting for either workplace health and safety OR food safety should contact AFPA for details. Great Members rates available melody@afpa.com or 403.201.3657
Digitizing your Food Safety & traceability process with AFPA Member!
Provision’s 4.0 product was released on April 5th. This helps processors avoid these compliance mistakes:
  • Missing Forms: Assign forms with due dates to get automatic reminders and overdue alerts 
  • Failed Requirements: View SOPs and tips without leaving a form, and comment to ask questions. 
  • Scattered Documentation: Organize all SOPs, scans, and forms in one hub, with automatic versioning. 
  • Slow Forms: Connect current and past forms to quickly autofill the shared data. 
  • Deviations: Set rules in forms to automatically flag deviations in real time, and begin corrective action. 

New pricing that makes Provision really affordable - new companies can join for as little as $49/month.


Registration is now open for our XTalks webinar on GFSI, which features two of North America’s top food safety advisors (link) May 13
National Day of Mourning to Remember Workers
Sadly, AB lost 150 people to workplace injury or illness in 2020.
We must continue to provide safe workplaces and keeping your workers safe in their duties and company operations.
Albertans and all Canadians will pay tribute to workers who have died, were injured, or made ill from their work.
It is also a day on which to renew our collective commitment to preventing future workplace injuries and tragedies.
 
This year, AFPA further acknowledges the sacrifices of frontline and all essential workers who have died or become ill serving during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian flag will fly at half-mast on most government and various office buildings.
 
In light of COVID-19 circumstances, AFPA still encourages our members to simply pause for a ‘recognized’ moment of silence right where you are, at 11:00 am on Wednesday April 28 to further support this great, annual event in conjunction with NAOSH safety week.
NAOSH week is May 2-8, 2021...(North American Occupational Safety & Health week)
The theme this year is ‘Together we can create safe workplaces and communities’
 
Include all areas of the company like office staff, remote workers, driver’s, all shifts, etc.
NAOSH resources page - download ‘free’ awareness posters to promote NAOSH week

Acknowledge workplace safety by holding a NAOSH week safety meeting that includes upper management or simply to state the company’s commitment to their employees regarding workplace safety and working safely so they can get home to their families or to review the workers 3 basic OHS rights or review who’s serving on the H&S Committee or hold a PPE demonstration with workers for some fun training that will promote safety and heighten awareness to your existing safety programs...make it what you want, but at minimum, just thank all of your staff for the safe work they do on a daily basis that contributes to the developing safety culture and company’s overall success.
Welcome NEW AFPA Member
We’d like to welcome Nai Nai Mie (nainaimie.ca) to AFPA, a St. Albert based business making handcrafted noodle kits from a recipe passed down through three generations. Started as a family business, Nai Nai Mie has been growing fast and in less than one year, their products now reach most of Alberta.

Cat Lee-Hannley, owner of Nai Nai Mie, is looking to expand their business further and looking for a partner in production/manufacturing and/or a new space to grow in. She would love to connect with you. You can reach her via email cat@nainaimie.ca.
Tell the AB Government what you think of the OHS Code!
If you’ve ever wanted to provide input on health & safety in AB, here’s your chance! The provincial government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code. Specifically, the review aims to improve health and safety outcomes for workers and streamline the process to reduce the burden on workers and employers alike – a great chance to cut red tape!

Submit your feedback - No later than May 10, 2021. More info can be found here.
As you know last fall, the Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act was passed which made changes to the OHS Act. Together, a revised OHS Act and updated OHS Code will help workers and job creators achieve better health and safety results. These new, flexible laws will allow workers and job creators to focus on identifying and mitigating risks in the workplace rather than grappling with prescriptive rules and checking boxes. The new laws will help workers and job creators build healthy and safe workplaces that support jobs and AB’s economic recovery.
 
The OHS Code has not been extensively updated since 2009. We are reviewing the OHS Code to ensure health and safety rules keep pace with changes to workplaces, standards, new best practices and technological advances. The review will also help streamline and simplify OHS Code requirements.
 
The survey will cover proposed changes to the OHS Code required by changes to the OHS Act and the parts identified for review this year. The 3-year review plan, which outlines the specific parts of the code that will be reviewed and the link to the survey is available at:
 
From 2020 to 2021 (phase 1), the Ministry will be reviewing these parts of the OHS Code:
  • Part 4: Chemical hazards, biological hazards and harmful substances
  • Part 6: Cranes, hoists and lifting devices
  • Part 10: Fire and explosion hazards
  • Part 11: First aid
  • Part 13: Joint work site health and safety committees
  • Part 15: Managing the control of hazardous energy
  • Part 16: Noise exposure
  • Part 17: Overhead power lines
  • Part 18: Personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Part 20: Radiation exposure
  • Part 33: Explosives
  • Part 36: Mining safety
  • Part 37: Oil and gas

“Workplace health and safety is everyone’s responsibility. The human and financial cost of workplace injuries and illnesses is too high. By updating OHS Code rules and making them easier to understand and follow, we can reduce those costs and ensure that every Albertan makes it home safely from work each day,” said Copping.

I encourage you to take the survey and provide input on the proposed changes.
 
Should you have any questions about the survey lbr.ohsreview@gov.ab.ca.
FUNDING and Industry Information!
Register to learn about the future of tech in agriculture - upcoming Lessons Learned Workshop and SPARK Speaker Series event
 Lessons Learned Workshop and SPARK Speaker Series on Tuesday, April 20 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. MT. This free, online event will showcase and share insights from a series of ERA-funded projects in Alberta’s food, fibre, and bioindustrial sectors. It will also include a broader discussion about the future of technology development in agriculture by thought leader and SPARK Speaker Series keynote, Robert Saik. ERA will also announce the winners of its Food, Farming, and Forestry Challenge. 
 If you are a technology developer, industry member, investor, or government employee interested in Alberta’s agriculture, agri-food, and forestry sectors; have a project in progress or are pursuing a similar technology innovation; this event is for you. REGISTER TODAY
 
AB government is temporarily expanding eligibility to the CAJG to help businesses access the training they need. The expansion is effective until Feb 28, 2022. Expanded eligibility includes: 
  • Funding mandatory training.
  • Allowing employers to train employed family members. Enables family-owned businesses to access training funds.
  • Allowing some business owners to receive funding to train themselves. Supports entrepreneurs to expand their skill set to grow or pivot their business.
Other changes will make the application process more efficient. For example, an employee’s training can start as soon as government receives an application, rather than having to wait for the application to be approved. This allows businesses to begin training sooner. AFPA training courses all qualify for this funding!

Provides support to help address the impact of COVID-19. The program supports eligible employers to offset the costs of training and ensuring safety protocols are in place for new employees hired from the available domestic labour pool. Eligible activities include training for newly hired employees in the area of COVID-19 safety procedures.  

Will help eligible AB businesses reduce emissions, decrease operating costs, grow their operations and become more competitive, while creating skilled jobs and boosting economic recovery. Recognizing that time is money to AB businesses, the program will offer streamlined applications, quick turnaround times, expanded technology lists and clear, timely, comprehensive information. Energy Savings for Business will give businesses fast access to cost-effective energy efficiency incentives:  
  • Up to $250,000 is available per project.
  • Up to $500,000 per parent company is available to cover the cost of products and services.