QUEEN’S PARK – The Ontario Government, through Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), is providing a series of information sessions to help farmers and other agri-food operators better protect workers’ health and safety and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks. Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece is co-hosting the first information session in the series.
“Every agricultural worker needs to be safe,” said Pettapiece. “I’m looking forward to hosting this session along with Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to provide more resources to enhance health and safety on the farm.”
Experts from the Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) will provide guidance on requirements and health and safety best practices to manage the risk of COVID-19 in agricultural workplaces, especially those with employees and temporary foreign workers.
The webinar will take place Feb. 26. Joining the session will be Hardeman, as well as Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris.
The 2021 growing season is already underway in some parts of the agri-food industry and temporary foreign agricultural workers have started to arrive in Ontario. This information session will help all farmers and operators enhance health and safety requirements and apply best practices in their operations.
“There’s an abundance of resources and information out there and these sessions will help each farmer and agri-food business in their ongoing efforts to improve their own workplaces to protect their workers,” said Hardeman.
The upcoming session for Oxford, Middlesex, Perth, Wellington, Kitchener and Conestoga will support agriculture workplaces, including those with temporary foreign agriculture workers or other employees, to prepare effective measures and training based on evidence-based practices. It will also introduce tools and resources to assist workplaces to implement these practices and includes access to up to two days of individualized consulting and training services by WSPS experts for their business.
The Feb. 26 webinar for this region will take place at 1:30pm. Attendees are asked to register by emailing meaghan.martin@ontario.ca. Registration is open until Feb. 25 at 4pm.
