March 2024

OHS Updates

Proposed Changes to the Alberta OHS Code

Alberta OHS recently announced an open public consultation for proposed changes to the OHS Code. This consultation is focused on the following parts of the OHS Code:

Violence and harassment – Part 27

Explosives – Part 33

Oil and gas wells – Part 37

As your municipal safety association, AMHSA is able to collect survey responses on your behalf. This allows AMHSA to submit collated member feedback and to use the information provided to better understand municipal needs and concerns.

To provide your feedback to AMHSA, please click here to complete the survey or email Rob Rosete (rob@amhsa.net) for details. The survey closes on March 12 in order to provide AMHSA with time to consolidate and submit your feedback to OHS.

To provide your feedback directly to the Alberta Government, click here. The Government of Alberta survey will close on March 19, 2024.

Program News

NEW: Psychological Health and Safety eLearning Certificate for People Leaders and Employees

AMHSA is proud to introduce a new Psychological Health & Safety e-Learning Certificate Program for leaders and employees, designed specifically to meet the demands of today’s increasingly complex workplace environment. This modular e-Learning program was developed with our strategic partner, Dr. Joti Samra and her team from MyWorkplaceHealth, and replaces AMHSA's Psychological Health and Safety Facilitators Program.

Module 1: Champion Psychological Safety

Module 2: Be a Psychologically Safe Leader

People Leaders modules 3-5 and PHS for Employees coming soon!

Share your Credentials with Digital Badges

To help you communicate your achievements, AMHSA has partnered with Credly to provide you with digital versions of your PHS credentials as you earn them. Use our verified digital badges to showcase your achievements and validate your skills with an industry-recognized credential.

Visit AMHSAdigitalcredentials.ca for more.

Ergonomics Coaching & MSI Prevention Webinars

AMHSA’s popular MSI Prevention & Ergonomics Coaching webinar series is back!

Register now for our upcoming monthly webinars presented by the experts at EWI Works. Each session includes a 45-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute Q&A. Here’s your chance to receive no-cost coaching and guidance from one of our professional ergonomists.

View all upcoming webinars

Job Demands Assessments and Psychosocial Demands

March 20, 2024 (9:00 - 10:00 am)

NEW: Aquatics Health & Safety Awareness Campaign

AMHSA's Aquatics Health & Safety Awareness campaign is designed to raise awareness of slips, trips, and falls for those working in and around pools. Funding for the campaign comes from a 2022 creative sentencing agreement to prevent further injuries in aquatic facilities.

Visit our website for resources developed for workers, supervisors, contractors, certified operators, and safety committees. Resources include safety talks, posters, and information on identifying and preventing slips trips and falls.

Upcoming Webinars

Register for our upcoming no-cost webinar series with fall protection subject matter expert Brendon Kerber M. Eng, P. Eng. of High Engineering.

Identifying slip, trip, and fall hazards

March 26, 2024 (11:00 - 12:00 pm)

Types of fall protection, including guardrails

April 30, 2024 (11:00 - 12:00 pm)

Fall protection plans and implementation

May 30, 2024 (11:00 - 12:00 pm)

A big thank you to the Aquatics Working Group participants who made this campaign possible.

Upcoming Training

Rural First Responder Mental Health Support

First responders are subjected to upsetting, disturbing, difficult and sometimes traumatic incidents on a regular basis. That’s why a FREE, comprehensive, evidence-based mental health services program is available to fire and rescue, paramedics, emergency health care workers and police services personnel working in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta.

Register now for one of our upcoming virtual sessions or contact us to arrange in-person or virtual sessions for your team.

Upcoming open virtual courses

April 16 & 17

May 28 & 29

July 9 & 10

September 10 & 11

For all open courses, day 1 runs from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, day 2 runs from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm.

Looking for specific training?

View our course calendar for upcoming open courses or visit our eLearning store for self-paced training.

Don't see what you're looking for? View our course list to see training options and contact us to schedule learning events for your organization, or to be placed on a waitlist for upcoming open training opportunities.

Email us at safety@amhsa.net or call 587-952-2268.

2024 Auditor Training

Obtain or maintain your certification and learn more about psychological health and safety audits. All training is offered virtually.

Health & Safety Management Systems

May 15-16, or Sept. 4-5

Health and Safety Auditing

May 28-29, or Sept. 17-19

Audit Refresher

Apr. 11, June 4

SECOR

May 22

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Contractor Health & Safety Mgmt. Systems

March 22, April 4, May 16

Flag Person: General - May 9

HS Committees & HS Representatives

March 8, April 10, or May 6

Leadership for Safety Excellence

Feb. 12-13 or Sept. 12-13

OHS Act, Reg. & Code Overview - April 8

Supervisor's Role - Feb. 23

Partner News

Canadian Standards Association

AMHSA has partnered with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to provide discounts on training, resources, and supplementary materials.

AMHSA's municipal members may also request access to a custom collection of 28 standards available at no-cost. Click here for more information.

Standards Open for Consultation

CSA standard Z94.4, Selection, use and care of respirators (open until March 18, 2024)

Upcoming Courses

Infection Control: Part 1 - Fundamentals

Infection Control: Part 2: Effective Implementation and Practical Applications

CSA Z462:21 Workplace Electrical Safety – Workshop

Government of Alberta OHS News

The Government of Alberta has posted new or updated resources, including Emergency Response Planning (eLearning), Ergonomics in the Workplace (Vibration), and OHS Training Scams and High-Pressure Sales Tactics.

OHS Proactive Inspection Program - Update

Each year, the Government of Alberta's OHS Proactive Inspection Program focuses on specific industry sectors, employers, or types of work in order to monitor compliance with legislation. In 2023-24 Cities (95104) was the first of five proactive inspection programs that OHS mandated to complete as part of the OHS Proactive Inspection Program. Below are known updates for this program:

Until December 2024, OHS will continue monitoring Cities (95104). Once completed, OHS will review their data to analyze compliance actions and identify health and safety related trends.
In the future, OHS has communicated its intention to expand planned focus to include Municipal Districts (95102), Towns (95101), and Villages (95100).

ITF Association

The February 2024 edition of the ITF Association newsletter is now available.

WCB-Alberta News

New 2024 Employer Fact Sheets

Industry Custom Pricing Participating Industries - A current list of industries participating in Industry Custom Pricing.

Industry Custom Pricing Waiving of Cost Relief Option - What cost relief means, how it works, and how it can affect your claims.

Safety Associations - Updated to reflect 2024 industry rates and levies.

Policies Open for Consultation

Industry Custom Pricing (ICP) automatic re-polling: A revision to Policy 07-02, Part II, Application 7, is required to allow us to confirm an industry’s ICP participation and program options on a regular schedule. (Open until March 11, 2024)

Policy 01-08 Reconsiderations, reviews, and appeals: WCB-Alberta reviewed Policy 01-08 to ensure it clearly reflects the intent of the policy. (Open until March 11, 2024)

ECO Canada

All online training at ECO Canada is now 15% off for AMHSA members! Use code AMHSA15 until July 31, 2024. Click here for details or visit eco.ca.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event Resources

International Women's Day (IWD) is March 8, 2024 - this year's theme is #AccelerateProgress. We invite you to join AMHSA in supporting equity, inclusion, and gender parity in the workplace. To see how you can support women in Alberta visit Women Building Futures or register for the Women in Safety Summit, March 21, 2024 in Calgary, Alberta.

Day of Mourning is April 28, 2024 - join millions of Canadians remembering workers who lost their lives through work-related illness or injury. To help you commemorate the day and share its importance, new resources from WCB-Alberta will be available in early April. Sign up for their Day of Mourning subscriber list to get notified when their new digital and print-friendly materials become available.