Safety

• Emphasis on safety is essential
• OYAP students must receive health and safety instruction as part of the course requirements. This includes WHIMIS training.
• OYAP students must receive industry specific health and safety instruction from the employer
• WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) training
• The employer is responsible for WSIB coverage beyond school hours and/or the program
• The board’s liability insurance protects students, employers and board employees during work experience programs. Worker’s compensation through the Ministry of Education.
• OYAP students, parents, employers and teachers must sign an agreement form prior to work placement for insurance to be valid

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What About Insurance?

The following information is from the Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange - Risk Management Advisory C-3.

Liability Insurance - Who is Insured?
The board's liability insurance protects students, employers, and board employees while students are engaged in a specified cooperative education, work experience, job shadowing or "Take Our Kids to Work" program. If they are sued for alleged negligence arising out of the student's involvement in the work experience program, they are protected.

If an employer involves a student in work or activities outside of the program, coverage is not extended. For example, an employer may hire a co-op student to work after hours. As this activity is not part of the co-op education program, there is no coverage through the school board's liability insurance.

Workplace Safety & Insurance Act
Coverage is provided under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act to cooperative education students through the Ministry of Education and Training. Students are not covered while in a classroom or shop when acting as a teacher's aide, or when traveling to or from the training station. Workplace Safety & Insurance is not provided to students involved in other work experience programs like the "Take Our Kids to Work" and jobs shadowing.
In accordance with the rules of the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, workplace accidents must be reported immediately to WSI Board.

Student Accident Insurance
Students who are injured accidentally while on the job may be able to claim under Student Accident Insurance, which protects students against accidental injury while at school or on a work experience project. Student Accident Insurance is valuable coverage, and should be actively promoted by school boards. Student Accident insurers usually extend coverage to students who are on work experience projects, even if the student has not voluntarily purchased the insurance.

* For the DSBN, Reliable Life does provide basic plan coverage for all DSBN students traveling to and from co-op placements even if their parent/guardian has not purchased student accident coverage. It should be noted however that this is basic coverage only and parents should be encouraged to ensure that their children/students are adequately covered.

Non-Owned Automobile Coverage for Coop Education

1. Working on a non-owned automobile
   Students will be protected for accidental and negligent damage they cause to a non-owned vehicle (i.e., not owned by the school board, the employer, the student or a member of the student's household) while working on it subject to a $250 deductible.
2. Driving a non-owned automobile
   Coverage for liability (injury to others or damage to property of others) AND coverage for physical damage to the vehicle being driven by a student is NOT extended to students on work experience programs. The policy provides excess liability coverage only when the vehicle is being driven on board business. Driving an employer's or customer's vehicle is deemed to be driving on the business of the employer, not the board. The Cooperative Education teacher and employer should clearly understand this fact and ensure that the student is insured under the employer's automobile liability policy.

Damage to Property of Employers
The board's liability policy extends coverage to students who damage property in their care, custody and control while involved in a work experience project subject to a $100 deductible. It should be noted that there is no coverage for intentional damage, dishonesty of students or errors & omissions.

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Parents should ask the following questions:

• Is safety training provided?
• Who will work with you?
• Is there performance feedback?
• Do you report concerns?
• What jobs are performed?
• Are you getting tired at work?
• Do you know what to wear?
• Do you work with chemicals?

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Links

Live Safe! Work Smart!
Worksmart Ontario

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