Safety

• Provide industry specific Health and Safety training
• Ensure that the work is in accordance with OHSA and its regulations
• Ensure that your workers use and wear all protective devices/equipment
• Let workers know of potential hazards and dangers
• Provide workers with written instruction where necessary
• Take every precaution reasonable to protect your workers
• Sign all necessary documentation
• Provide necessary insurance for after school hours for students/apprentices
• Provide WHMIS and MSDS training for workers/students specific to the job
• Spend more time supervising
• Set rules and explain
• Explain reporting procedures for accidents, hazards and concerns
• Make yourself available, approachable and maintain communication
• Lead by example, wear and follow all safety rules
• Use a variety of training techniques. Know workers needs.
• Conduct tours and show locations. (eg. Fire extinguishers, eye wash station, exits)
• Provide equipment operation training
• Provide your companies specific health and safety rules, lifting techniques, ladders and housekeeping

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Liability Insurance

The board’s liability insurance protects students, employers and board employees while students are engaged in a specific cooperative education or work experience program. If they are sued for alleged negligence arising out of the student’s involvement in the program, they are protected.

If an employer and/or placement supervisor involves a student in work or activities outside of the program, coverage is NOT extended. For example, an employer may hire a cooperative education student to work after hours. However, this activity is not part of the cooperative education program, there is no coverage through the board’s liability insurance.

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Student Accident Insurance

Students are also encouraged to purchase their personal insurance through the carrier contracted by the school board at the beginning of each school year.

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Responsibilities of the Employer

1. Interview the student to make sure the placement is appropriate and meets their needs
2. Review and sign the Cooperative Education Student Handbook.
3. Provide the student with instruction in specific workplace health, safety and confidentiality practices.
4. WHMIS training
5. Designate an employee to be responsible for the student’s training and supervision.
6. Use of MSDS charts
7. Assist the Teacher to develop a meaningful learning plan which accurately describes the skills and knowledge to be gained by the student at the work site
8. Provide a variety of learning experiences that will help the student to make informed career decisions.
9. Discuss the student’s performance at the work site and progress with the teacher on a regular basis.
10. Sign the weekly log sheets.
11. Complete and return the evaluation sheets as required by the program.
12. Contact the school immediately if there are any concerns related to attendance, student performance, workplace injury, etc.

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DSBN Sexual Harassment Policy

The District School Board of Niagara is committed to the belief that all employees and students have the right to work and learn in an environment that is free of any form of sexual harassment. This belief is reinforced by the Board’s Discipline Policy and by student codes of behavior established by each school.

The intention is to encourage students to treat each other with mutual respect. Employees and students need to be aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. All employees and students shall have the right to lodge a complaint of sexual harassment without fear or threat of reprisal.

Employees and students 16 years of age and older may initiate a complaint under the Sexual Harassment Administrative Procedure and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure Guide. Students under 16 years of age may lodge a complaint with the school Principal, Vice Principal, or trusted staff member who will review the case in light of the disciplinary code of conduct and Family and Children’s Services Protocol.

School Board personnel, under the Child and Family Services Act, are required to report to Family and Children’s Services any time they have "reasonable grounds to suspect" that a student under 16 years has, or is suffering from, sexual harassment.

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Workplace Safety & Insurance Act

Cooperative education students in the workplace are covered by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board through the Ministry of Education - Work Education Program. Note: the Work Education Agreement Form must be signed by all parties prior to the time the student starts at the work site for the insurance to be valid.
Any student who wants to complete additional hours (not indicated on the original Work Education Agreement form) must complete an Additional Hours Form in advance of working these hours. Contact the cooperative education teacher at the school before this takes place.

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Driving While on the Cooperative Education Placement

It is the policy of the District School Board of Niagara that all students who use their own vehicles or the vehicles of others to provide transportation in connection with the cooperative education program DO SO AT THEIR OWN PERSONAL RISK, INDEPENDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Because of risks involved in student driving, we discourage student driving on placement business unless it is specified on the student’s Personalized Placement Learning Plan. When driving is a component of the learning experience on the job, the employer must assume liability and, therefore, responsibility for ensuring that adequate insurance is in place for the company or customer vehicle/equipment and/or property used by the student.

If driving a vehicle/equipment is NOT part of the cooperative education experience as specified in the Personalized Placement Learning Plan, students will NOT be covered by the school board’s liability insurance.

In the case of a student driving his/her own vehicle on company-related business, where driving is a component of the learning experience on the job, as is specified in the Personalized Placement Learning Plan, then the primary insurer is the student’s OWN insurance.

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Acknowledgements

Workers Health and Safety Centre
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (Ontario)
Industrial Accident Prevention Association
Ministry of Education
Human Resources Development Canada
Ontario Ministry of Labour
Work Smart Ontario
Skills Canada, Ontario
Ontario Council for Technology Education

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