Corporate

The influence of an effective teacher can extend well beyond the classroom to post-secondary, career and even life choices. And now, a growing group of Ontario teach- ers will have the opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviours about working in a healthy and safe manner. It started with WSPS volunteer Gary Gibson who saw an opportunity to make a difference in the Durham District School Board (DDSB). He and his colleagues at DDSB have a long history of employing health and safety best practices in their schools, including purchasing equipment based on quality and safety features and working extensively with partners like WSPS to keep students and staff safe. In 2011, Gary reached out to WSPS for assistance with a review of one of the DDSB tech shops. The assessment, which revealed guarding and chemical storage issues, was the impetus for the development of a customized tech shop safety program, designed to educate school board staff, in their own classrooms, about their legal responsi- bilities and the processes they need to use to recognize, assess and control hazards. The program was so successful that WSPS was called back in to deliver a modified version to principals and vice principals at DDSB. Not only did it help them understand how to implement the health and safety solutions that were provided, it also provided valuable insight to help them understand how they need to resource in the future to maintain healthy and safe classrooms, which is vitally important given the funding constraints that schools face. Gary's innovative and collaborative approach is now help- ing to transform safety in schools across the province. Thanks to his vision and DDSB's generosity, the program has been delivered to over 250 schools across Ontario. WSPS' expertise in the manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors has become extremely valuable to many school boards seeking assistance with machine guard- ing audits, tech shop training, program development, risk assessments and assistance with improving facilities and equipment. And, with the Ministry of Education's decision last January to provide funding for both technological education facilities and science labs, WSPS' solutions are now being implemented in science labs as well. Thanks to the commitment of these school boards and the hundreds of teachers and administrators who have com- pleted training so far, generations of students will learn early on in their education about proper and safe work procedures – valuable and lifesaving information that they will carry with them not only in their summer jobs, but throughout their careers. s o l u ti o n s d i v er si t y Extending our reach into the classroom and beyond c o m m u n i t y 13 2013 annual report  |  Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

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