Did you know that Earth Day, celebrated each year on April 22nd, turns 45 years old this year? 

How will you be marking Earth Day at your workplace? Are you looking for some easy and potentially cost-saving ideas?



Well, you're in luck! We've compiled a quick list for you:

Food & Drink Related:

• Hold an Earth Day lunch with the team featuring organic food and locally-sourced ingredients
• Encourage employees to use reusable lunch containers, coffee mugs, and refillable water containers
• Purchase a water cooler instead of bottled water

Team Activities:

• Allow a group of employees to clean up litter around the neighbourhood 
• Plant new trees and plants on your property
• Hold a contest that rewards employees who come up with ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your workplace
• Screen a film or documentary at lunch related to environmental issues

Encouraging the 3 R's:

• Start an environmental committee or group at work and encourage its members to come up with environmental challenges for the company
• Rather than having just 1-2 recycle bins for the entire workplace, place a small recycling container for each desk - this will dramatically increase usage
• Adopt a "double-sided" policy when printing internal and non-essential documents

Transportation to/from work:

• Acknowledge employees who walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit to work
• Purchase bus tickets or bus passes for your employees
• Arrange a company carpool group

Making the workplace more environmentally-friendly:

• Insist that your cleaning service use earth-friendly cleaning products in your workplace
• Require employees to power off their computers and other electronic equipment at night and potentially during lunch/meetings if possible
• Replace older standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones
• Donate things like older printers and computers to those in need, or bring them to an e-Waste facility
• Turn off or lower the brightness of lights in your office if possible - particularly at night and even at lunch time

Do you have any other suggestions for celebrating the 45th annual Earth Day? Let us know in the Comments.

The unsung heroes of many organizations are its administrative professionals. Keeping things running smoothly and averting potential disasters is just par for the course for these folks.

April 22nd is Administrative Professionals' Day, which celebrates the 475,000 Canadians (and millions more worldwide) who work as secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.

Want some suggestions for how to show your appreciation for your company's superheroes?

The classics (not the most creative, but always a good choice):

• Lunch out with the boss at their favourite spot (better call for a reservation)
• Bouquet of flowers delivered to the office
• Gift basket filled with their favourite goodies
• Spa day gift certificate

A bit more personalized:

• Framed certificate of apprecation for a job well done
• Management organize a potluck lunch or team event in their honour
• Decorate their workspace with balloons and banners
• Recognition of their efforts by management in a heartfelt company-wide email

Taking it to the next level:

• Day off with pay (why not make the next statutory holiday into a 4 day weekend?)
• Tickets to an outside event they would enjoy (theme park, movies, concert, etc.)
• Chair massage from a massage therapist at the office

Things not to do:

• Anything that might be considered reminiscent of Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada"
• Promising to give them a special reward "next week" and then never following through

Do you have any other ideas? Share them in the Comments.
Have a great day!

The AODA Customer Service Standard was the first piece of Ontario's sweeping accessibility legislation to be passed and its requirements came into effect by 2012 for most organizations. It mandated that organizations provide their goods & services in a way that was accessible to people with disabilities and included 11 specific requirements for business owners. Since then, the province has implemented the Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation (IASR), which includes the Employment Standard, Communication & Information Standard, Transportation Standard, and Design of Public Spaces Standard.

In 2014, the government made some proposed changes to the AODA Customer Service Standard available for public comment. A finalized version of those proposed changes has been released. 

Here are some highlights:

• Changing the definition of "small" organizations to those with between 1-49 employees (which is how the IASR defines it) from the current definition of 1-19 employees. This is important because many of obligations of the legislation do not apply to "small" organizations and this would significantly increase the threshold for the need to comply with some of the more rigorous aspects of the legislation.

• Service animals: Adjust the definition of a service animal from one that where it is "readily apparent" that the animal is used for reasons related to the person's disability to one where it is "readily identifiable" (such as wearing a vest or harness) that the animal is used for that purpose. The existing legislation states that a business owner can request a "letter" from a "physician or nurse" confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability, which would now be changed to "documentation" and "regulated health professionals." The proposed change also adds the option of providing third party certification that the service animal has been trained to provide assistance that relates to the disability. 

• Support persons: The existing legislation allows an organization to require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when it is deemed necessary to protect the health & safety of that person or others. The proposed change clarifies when an organization may require a support person, adds the obligation to consult with the person with a disability, and that a support person can only be required where it is the only means of allowing the person to be on the premises while fulfilling the organization’s health & safety obligations. The intention behind these changes is to ensure that businesses do not make assumptions about when a person with a disability may or may not need a support person.

• Training your staff: The existing legislation requires any staff members, third parties, or volunteers who deal with the public to be trained on the AODA Customer Service Standard. The proposed change would expand that training requirement to all employees and volunteers, regardless of whether or not they deal with the public.

These proposed changes have been finalized, but have not yet been put into law. If they are passed, it will require many Ontario business owners to revise their AODA policies and procedures.

Is your business compliant with the AODA? Clear Path has two Do-It-Yourself Packages that can help you get compliant with both the Customer Service Standard and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. We are also available to answer any of your accessibility-related questions. You can contact us at info@clearpathemployer.com or toll-free at (888) 336-0950.

Wonder what are the requirements for employers under the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)? 

Here is an informative Q&A created by Clear Path's safety specialist Michelle Strassburger:


Q: What are the duties of an employer in charge of a worksite where controlled products are used?

A: An employer in charge of a worksite where controlled products are used has 3 duties (Source):

1. To ensure that controlled products are labelled or identified,
2. To obtain material safety data sheets for controlled products, and
3. To educate workers.

This does not mean necessarily a "regulated" program unless you transport dangerous goods.  If the organization does transport dangerous goods, specific worker education must be provided and certificates issued.

Q : What must an employer ensure that each worker who works with (or in proximity to) a controlled product be informed about?

A: Whether the employer receives the controlled product from a supplier or produces it themselves, they must ensure each worker is informed about all hazard information of which the employer is or ought to be aware concerning the controlled product and its use, storage and handling. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 860, s. 6.

Q: What must your company's education programs contain?

A: An employer shall ensure that every worker who works with (or in proximity to) a controlled product is instructed in:

• (a) the contents required on a supplier label and workplace label, and the purpose and significance of the information contained on the labels;
• (b) the contents required on a material safety data sheet and the purpose and significance of the information contained on a material safety data sheet;
• (c) procedures for the safe use, storage, handling and disposal of a controlled product;
• (d) procedures for the safe use, storage, handling and disposal of a controlled product when it is contained or transferred in: (i) a pipe, (ii) a piping system including valves, (iii) a process vessel, (iv) a reaction vessel, or (v) a tank car, a tank truck, an ore car, a conveyor belt or a similar conveyance; (e) procedures to be followed when fugitive emissions are present; and (f) procedures to be followed in case of an emergency involving a controlled product.

Q: Are there other requirements related to to worker education?

A: There are two addition requirements:

• Ensure that the program is developed and implemented for the employer’s workplace and is related to any other training, instruction and prevention programs at the workplace.
• Ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the program results in the workers being able to use the information to protect their health and safety. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 860, s. 7.

Q: How frequently should worker education take place?

A: Training should be updated on a yearly basis. Some organizations do re-training through a monthly safety talk.

Q: Must you send your workers to an outside training?

A: There is no requirement to send employees for outside training. An organization can develop their own program as long as it meets the requirement of the legislation.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900860_e.htm#BK5

Have any additional questions related to occupational health and safety, contact us today!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?  Either a walk through Rockwood Conservation Area or undisturbed quiet time to binge-watch a great show on Netflix

What is your greatest extravagance?  Buying 80s & 90s music from iTunes

What talent would you most like to have? Graphic design

What do you consider your greatest achievement?  Raising two incredible kids who don't hate me (yet)

What is your personal motto?  Here are two that I particularly like:
1. It's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. (Grace Murray Hopper)
2. A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn. (Helen Keller)

You can learn more about David on his Clear Path bio page.

Other entries in our Spotlight Series:

• Spotlight on Clear Path's Anna Aceto-Guerin
• Spotlight on Clear Path's Kelly Auld
• Spotlight on Clear Path's Jennifer Ferron
• Spotlight on Clear Path's Evan Olbort
• Spotlight on Clear Path's Michelle Strassburger
  
• Spotlight on Clear Path's Margaret Sullivan Williams