Municipal Safety News - January 2021
Make a Difference in your Workplace
Kick off the New Year with the goal of making your workplace psychologically healthy and safe for your employees!

You can achieve this goal by taking PHS 101 Foundation in Psychological Health and Safety on January 26-27 and working towards your Facilitator's Certification. AMHSA and Howatt HR have partnered to bring you a program that includes a total of 5 courses offered via webinar format.

Starting the program with PHS 101 will prepare you to design, implement and measure a Psychological Health and Safety Management System (PHSMS) that will reduce mental harm and promote mental health in the workplace. This 2-day course has been pre-approved through CPHR for 12 certified professional development hours.

To learn more about our certification program and individual courses and/or to register, please visit our website. Or if you would like to register by phone, please call 1-800-267-9764.

Injury Reduction Coaching Sessions
AMHSA is offering several new dates for coaching sessions for Winter Ready, Line of Fire and MSI. Dates for January and February include:

Winter Ready Employee - January 14 @ 9 am
Winter Ready Leader - January 20 @ 9 am
Winter Ready Employee - January 21 @ 8:30 am

Line of Fire - January 19 @ 9 am

Ergonomics Coaching Workshop - January 21 @ 8:30 am
Ergonomics Coaching Workshop - February 18 @ 8:30 am

To see more workshop dates and/or to register for sessions, please visit our website.
Office Ergonomics Course & Online Self-Adjustment Tool
To assist employees working from home, AMHSA is once again offering free ergonomics training until March 31. This course and tool are excellent resources to help prevent musculoskeletal injuries.

Stay tuned for the hyperlinks so that you can take advantage of this free training!
Reminder: WCB Annual Return Deadline and Updates







WCB-Alberta annual return deadline is February 28, 2021
 
Are you an employer with workers? If so, you’re required to fill out an annual return reporting your workers’ assessable earnings paid in the last year along with what earnings you expect to pay in the upcoming year. This is important information to ensure that you’re paying the correct premium amount.
 
New this year: You will no longer receive an annual return PIN letter in the mail. To submit an annual return, employers will log into myWCB and select “file my annual return” starting January 1, 2021. If you do not have a myWCB account, you can sign up here. 
 
If you are enrolled in the Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) program, it is important that you submit your return on time as late filing may prevent you from receiving your 2020 PIR refund.
 
For more information about what’s new this year, please visit WCB’s website and the reference document on the annual returns webpage.
 
For more information, visit the WCB website or call the contact centre toll free at 1-866-922-9221, 780-498-3999 in Edmonton or 403-517-6000 in Calgary.

WCB Update on Premium Rates

To view WCB's most recent update on 2021 premium rates, please click here.
Industry Task Force (ITF) Association Update
The Industry Task Force Association works collaboratively to affect positive change in programs, practices, policy, and legislation by representing the views of Alberta employers who are members of the ITF Association on matters relating to Workers' Compensation in Alberta.

As a member of the Executive Committee, AMHSA's Craig Hrynchuk provides updates on our website for our members to review. ITF's most recent newsletter includes information on topics such as government engagement, transfer of WCB accident fund, appeals commission update, policy consultation on legislative changes, joint OHS/WCB Reporting System, and upcoming meetings.

To view ITF's newsletters, please visit our website.
The Working Mind for Employees


AMHSA is offering The Mental Health Commission of Canada's The Working Mind for Employees on Thursday, March 11 from 8am - 1pm.

  • The Working Mind (TWM) is an evidence-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a workplace setting.

  • Program benefits: Increase in resiliency skills, decrease in stigmatizing attitudes, and increase in mental health wellbeing.

  • Objectives: Use the mental health continuum to recognize changes in your mental health and that of others; be prepared to use skills to improve coping and resiliency; reduce both public and self-stigma; and be willing to be part of a supportive workplace.
 
  • Participants require webcam, speakers, microphone.

Cost is $150 for members/Associate Members and $175 for non-members.

Click here to register online for this program or call 1-800-267-9764.
H&S Committee/H&S Representative Training
Exciting News! AMHSA has been approved by Alberta Labour as a designated provider of ONLINE Health and Safety Committee and Representative training (HSC/HSR).

To be compliant with legislation, employers must ensure that each HSC co-chair or Representative completes the mandatory HSC/HSR training course. As best practice, the training is also recommended for all HSC members and managers who will be supporting either the HSC/HSR.

Click here to see information from Alberta Labour.

Coming Soon! - this online course will be uploaded soon onto AMHSA's website this week.
Looking for a Learning Management System Solution?
Do you need a Learning Management System (LMS) that provides you with a wide range of management solutions? If so, look no further than AMHSA's Digital Safety Software program provided by BIS!

Utilize AMHSA's robust LMS free portal to build, host, and deliver your own online courses, tests, and surveys through our secure course player and exam engine.

In addition, our LMS provides you with a variety of tools including SCORM compatibility, training matrices that can be custom or pre-loaded for municipalities, online proctoring, access to on-the-go forms and training certificates via the SafeTapp Mobile App, digital forms, classroom calendar, equipment management, support and so much MORE!

To learn more about what AMHSA can do to make your job easier and increase training compliance, please visit our website or contact Rick Northrop via email or by phone: 1-800-267-9764.
AMHSA/UNB Tuition Giveaway - And the Winner is ...
The University of New Brunswick and AMHSA are pleased to announce Nicole (Nici) Carmichael is the lucky winner of the AMHSA/UNB Free Tuition Giveaway for the Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety online program designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of safety practitioners.

As the Town of Olds' community programmer, Nici has always been interested in safety and believes it is an essential component of every organization.

Nici's initial experience in the sector began in a previous position where the organization was working towards a Certificate of Recognition for its Safety Program. She was instrumental in getting her department's information together for the audit and continued to do maintenance after that. 

For the past five years, Nici has sat on the Town of Olds' safety committee. She received her safety auditor certification through AMHSA and has since been involved in annual core maintenance audits. To date, she has completed one external and two internal audits and says she thoroughly enjoys the process. She is also instrumental in reviewing informal documentation and safety binders to ensure departments are prepared for future audits.

Upon the encouragement of her municipality's HR person, she entered the contest. "I was surprised when I got the notice that I won, and I'm excited about the opportunity to learn more about health and safety."

"It seems every organization is implementing more and more safety programs that you never know what opportunities may present in the future; it will be good to have this knowledge and background in my back pocket."

Congratulations to Nici! AMHSA and UNB wishes you the best as you work towards your certificate!
Alberta Labour Updates
Alberta Labour

Read the latest on proposed changes to OHS laws.

Workers' Compensation Board - Alberta - Updates
MD of Foothills H&S Supervisor Job Posting
MD of Foothills is seeking a full-time, permanent Health & Safety Supervisor. To see more about the opportunity, please visit our Municipality Job Postings webpage.

If your municipality would like AMHSA to post a job opportunity, please contact Terri. If you would like a web banner posted on our home page to promote that job posting, the specs for artwork are: .jpg format, 1160x300 pixels.
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