IHSA continues to make its presence felt in Northern Ontario. We provide solutions to address high-risk activities and support the sector-specific needs and requirements of our 11,306 member firms in the North. Our subject-matter experts provide training, consulting, and auditing services, and facilitate employer-recognition programs and client outreach initiatives. We have six bipartite Labour-Management Health and Safety Committees in the North and we have developed close relationships with trade associations and distributors in the region, as well as with area high schools and colleges.

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Consulting

IHSA consultants are experienced health and safety professionals who can show member firms how to apply best practices and prevention strategies in workplace operations, regardless of the size of the company. They work with clients to develop or improve health and safety policy and programs, provide training, or to assist with industry-specific issues.

IHSA has 16 subject-matter experts who serve our members in the North. To find the contact info for the IHSA consultant in your area, click the map.

1. Al Beattie 2. Holly Baril 3. Shannan Boston 4. Marc Faubert 5. Carey Gilligan 6. Karen Hermant 7. Paride Iacoboni 8. Tyler Kellar

9. Mitch Monette 10. Sam Preziuso 11. Scott Needs 12. George Suszter 13. Michael Tomashowski 14. Mike Trace 15. Bill White 16. Bill Woodliffe

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SCIP Training in Northern Ontario

During October and November, IHSA is partnering with the WSIB to offer a series of complimentary SCIP training sessions across Northern Ontario. Upon completion of the program requirements and attendance at all four sessions, you can receive a one-time 5 per cent rebate on your WSIB contributions.

Course will be held at the following locations.

To register or for more info, download the brochure or visit the SCIP web page.

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Member Firms

IHSA is proud to represent over 11,000 member firms in Northern Ontario and we work hard to provide services to each and every one of them. We offer courses in a wide variety of formats in order to make them more accessible, including home-study programs, online learning, and a mobile classroom that delivers training to remote–and not-so-remote–locations in the North. IHSA is the only health and safety association that offers 22 training programs at no cost to members. IHSA member are also able to order 44 of our health and safety products at no charge and download over 90 products from our website.

For a breakdown of the total number of IHSA firms in the North by rate group, download Northern Region Total Firms.

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Training

IHSA's subject-matter experts and experienced instructors represent all our industry sectors and work together to provide training on a variety of topics.

Our new Surface Miner Common Core training course was developed specifically for our Northern clients. Contact your IHSA consultant to book a course in your area.

Marc Faubert, one of IHSA's health and safety consultants in the North, has been holding a series of Defensive Driving for Emergency Response Personnel courses. Upon request, the classroom training can be supplemented by a practical (hands-on) in-cab evaluation on a obstacle course.

For a list of all our scheduled training courses in the North, click on the map. In addition to scheduled training courses, we also offer courses by request. If we don't offer the course you want in your area, contact your IHSA consultant to request it.

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Products

In order to better service our stakeholders in the North, IHSA will be housing an assortment of our extensive catalogue of health and safety materials at the Sudbury Construction Association. Our Northern members now have a more convenient location to pick up IHSA manuals, guides, posters, stickers and DVDs. Members can also order materials from this location to improve delivery times.

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Articles

• Community teamwork makes North Bay Safety Conference a success
• New training facility to serve the North

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Certificate of Recognition (COR™) and Safety Groups

Scott Needs, a COR™ and Safety Groups consultant in Thunder Bay, is available to share his expertise about IHSA's employer-recognition programs, auditing services, or training courses. Scott was previously a health and safety consultant in the North, specializing in the construction and mining sectors.

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Outreach Programs

IHSA is committed to growing our resources in Northern Ontario. We participate in a number of outreach initiatives designed to raise awareness of the services we provide in the region. Pictured are three of our subject-matter experts who live in Northern Ontario: Scott Needs (COR™ and Safety Groups Consultant), Holly Baril (Manager, Regional Operations North), and Michael Tomashowski (Health and Safety Consultant–Kenora, Rainy River District).

From February 14 to 16, Scott Needs and Michael Tomashowski attended the First Nations Housing Conference in Thunder Bay, where they promoted IHSA's services and products to the First Nations' community. In the upcoming years, Northern Ontario is expecting an incredible demand for construction and utility workers to support developments associated with the "Ring of Fire". Scott and Michael also attended the Kenora District Mayor's Association conference in Sioux Lookout.

Scott Needs is a member of the Partners in Prevention Planning Committees in Sault Ste. Marie and Forum North (Thunder Bay). The Sault Ste. Marie conference will be held on April 11 and 12 and two presenters from IHSA will attend.

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Labour-Management Network

IHSA's network of 23 trade and 16 regional Labour-Management Health and Safety Committees has over 800 members in total. Six of the sixteen regional committees are located in Northern Ontario.

1. Barrie 2. North Bay 3. Northwestern (Thunder Bay)

4. Sault Ste. Marie 5. Sudbury 6. Timmins

These voluntary, bipartite committees work to enhance and promote health and safety in the workplace. Members raise issues that are important to the region and work to find solutions. Where there are gaps in the industry, working groups are formed to evaluate and make recommendations to the Ministry of Labour on proposed changes to regulations.

Members of the Northern Regional Labour-Management Committees represent a vast array of companies, unions, and associations in the area.

[+/-] Click here for a complete list of members.

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Fleet Safety Council Northern Chapter

The Fleet Safety Council is an association of owners, managers, driver trainers and safety professionals working in cooperation with IHSA to promote safety within all industries operating a fleet and transport industry. Northern Chapter meetings are held quarterly in Sudbury and a chapter in Thunder Bay may be coming soon. Members have the opportunity to learn more about safety within the transportation industry by sharing ideas and information with other companies and individuals. We have 38 members in the Northern Chapter and over 750 members in several chapters across Ontario. Members should be employed as manager, safety supervisor, driver trainer, driver supervisor, or fleet supervisor with a company having commercial motor vehicles.

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Trade and Distributor Associations

IHSA has developed strong relationships with construction trade associations and electrical distributor associations in the Northern region. They include the following.

Trade Associations

Haliburton County Home Builders' Association Orillia & District Construction Association Electrical Contractors Association of Northern Ontario Sudbury & District Home Builders' Association Construction Association of Thunder Bay Muskoka Home Builders' Association Timmins Construction Association

Midland, Penetang & District Home Builders' Association Sudbury Construction Association Barrie Construction Association Electrical Contractors Association of Thunder Bay Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association Kenora Construction Association

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Electrical Distributor Associations

Northern Utility Contractors

Algoma Power Inc. Atikokan Hydro Inc. Chapleau Public Utilities Corporation Collus Power Corp. Espanola Regional Hydro Distribution Corp. Fort Albany Power Corporation Fort Frances Power Corporation Greater Sudbury Hydro Inc. Hearst Power Distribution Co. Ltd. Hydro One Networks Inc. Hydro One Remote Communities Inc. Innisfil Hydro Distribution Systems Limited

Kenora HE Corp. Ltd. Lakeland Power Distribution Ltd. (Huntsville) Midland Power Utility Corporation North Bay Hydro Distribution Ltd. Northern Ontario Wires Inc. Orillia Power Distribution Corporation Ottawa River Power Corp. Parry Sound Power Corporation PUC Distribution Inc. Sioux Lookout Hydro Inc. Thunder Bay Hydro Electricity Distrib. Inc. Veridian Connections Inc. (Gravenhurst)

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High Schools and Vocational Colleges

IHSA has been working with colleges and high schools in the North for many years. We offer training and products to complement their high skills major program and we work with Cambrian College in Sudbury to help them train their powerline apprentices.

Cambrian College

The Powerline Technician program is the outcome of a partnership between Cambrian College and IHSA to help employers meet the growing need for powerline technicians in Ontario, create a more knowledgeable apprentice, and help support the apprenticeship system. The two-year program gives students a solid foundation in both the theoretical and the practical knowledge of electricity transmission and distribution. The program is taught both by college instructors and prevention specialty consultants provided by IHSA.

Confederation College

IHSA has opened a training facility at Confederation College in Thunder Bay that will serve the construction, electrical and utilities, and transportation industries.

See also:

• New training facility to serve the North

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Sault College

At Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, IHSA consultant Scott Needs is a member of the Civil, Construction & Environmental Advisory Committee.

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Mobile Classroom

IHSA's mobile classroom travels to worksites all over Ontario, bringing health and safety training and subject-matter experts right to your door. For most of the summer, the mobile classroom travels throughout the cities and towns of Northern Ontario–from Kenora to Kapuskasing, and Sault Ste. Marie to Moosonee. Clients can book the mobile classroom to come to their facility or for trade shows and conferences. Book early–it's first-come, first-served!

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Bills 119 (Independent Operators) and Small Business

As of January 2013, independent operators in construction will be required to register with the WSIB as employers. As part of our overall Strategic Plan, IHSA will increase the integration of health and safety with small business and independent operators.