-Consumer Choice Awards
Consumer Choice Award has chosen Mentor Safety Consultants as the winner in the Workplace Safety Training category for London, Ontario. This is the fourth time that the company has won the coveted award. Using independently procured data, Consumer Choice Award recognizes and promotes business excellence. As the only winners in the category, each Award winner is the undisputed customer favorite in their region.

Mentor Safety Consultants was founded by Jamie Wright, CRSP, CMSE, CHSC. As the Director and Senior Consultant, Jamie has successfully built a company based on his passion for safety in the workplace and his 30+ years of experience in the safety world. The company today implements safety solutions that are functional and in sync with the demands of its clients.

The team at Mentor provides industry-specific hands-on training. This domain-focused expertise is customized to the real-world needs of the company’s clients. More than mere safety protocols, the objective of the company is to foster a culture of safety in the organizations they work with. It is recognized that Mentor Safety Consultants do this at an award-winning level and have cemented themselves as high-quality providers of workplace safety training.

The business has training programs including Chief Prevention Officer Approved Working at Heights and Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification, as well as Forklift Operator, Elevated Work Platform Operator, Confined Space Entry, and many more. Mentor Safety Consultants can deliver training at their clients’ sites or, they can host the training at their 2,200 sq. ft. training facility in London which features many visual and hands-on learning aids. Learners can get practical experience with vertical and horizontal lifelines, different fall protection systems, operations of a forklift and elevated work platform as well as other industry-leading safety equipment.

The business doesn’t just deliver safety training. Mentor Safety Consultants specializes in providing practical, on-site safety support. They don’t just develop safety programs, and expect the clients to take care of their implementation. They’re with their clients and their employees throughout the process to make sure that all aspects of safety are implemented and ingrained in the system.

The company’s consulting services include on-site workplace inspections and audits, assistance with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) Audits, hazard and risk assessments, machine guarding, lock-out programs, technical interpretation of safety standards, safety policy and culture development, conflict resolution, workplace violence, and harassment management, and 24/7 technical safety support.

For Mentor Safety Consultants, the goal has always been to create, nurture, and sustain safer working conditions. As the Consumer Choice Award shows, that’s a mission its clients have come to believe in.

The post 4 Year Consumer Choice Award Winners appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

–Carola Mittag
I’m not a builder; however, every year before Christmas, I singlehandedly build an entire village. It’s not your traditional build as the homes are prefab, the streetscape is haphazard, and all this done under heavy snow and unlit conditions until the electrician in me adds the lighting. This project takes approximately two days.  

It is my beautiful Christmas Village which I curse from the moment I dust off the boxes containing all the houses, figurines and wires for the individual lights that light up the houses. It is a chore, and this year I vowed that it would be the last time because of all the work.

Then I thought of my parents who purchased these houses over time and what joy they had in setting them up. My parents are both gone but this little village brings back wonderful memories of both, them and Christmases past so, no I will not get rid of the village. Setting it up will always be a labour of love.

But this year I made a change to the village. Because of its approximate thirty-year age the houses were still individually lit by small, incandescent bulbs with a wire running to each house and needing to be plugged in to a power bar. Because there are eleven houses, I needed two power bars end-to-end to plug into the wall outlet. This already made me uncomfortable. As I was clipping one of the lights into the Faversham Lamps and Oils House, (a little irony here I think), the little bulb exploded in my hand, leaving lots of tiny glass shards in my palm and an exposed filament (a wire filament heated until it glows) laying on the artificial, very flammable snow.

Things I did wrong:

• I didn’t check the bulbs to see if they were working before I clipped them into their respective houses.
• I was trying to skip a step to save time by not checking the bulbs first.
• I should never have used two power bars end-to-end. How many times are we warned not to overload sockets with multiple extenders?
• I was working with live wires. I should have left all the wires unplugged until the bulbs were clipped into their respective houses.

Building my small village could have had dire consequences. I learned that even my build should have had a work and safety plan in place. Lesson learned! The footnote to this story is that I purchased a string of low wattage LED lights which I “ran through the village right to the traffic stop”, (words from Frosty the Snowman). The village looks beautiful with its modern lighting, and I feel much safer knowing that I have minimized the risk of fire in my home.

Of course there is a moral to my story. My miniature Dickens’ Village could have caused a major, disastrous event in the actual village that I live in. Construction is a dangerous business in real life. It’s no wonder that without proper planning, the right tools, personal protective equipment, training and knowledge, tragic consequences can result.

It is Christmastime. I wish you dear readers a wonderful holiday and a time of reflection and joy with family and friends. I’ll leave you with this message from Dr. Seuss:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

Watch for next month’s Blog published in the first week of January.

Sincerely,

Carola Mittag

Consultant and Editor for Mentor Safety Consultants Inc.

The post CHRISTMAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

On a daily basis most of us text, email or send electronic messages incorporating an emoji to express a feeling without using many words to get our sentiment across. For someone who loves words, finding and using an appropriate emoji to get my thoughts across has been a slow and challenging process. However, I understand that to be relevant and “with it” nowadays I’ll have to buy into this new language. ?know ?can do this!

This morning, as I was reading the ? and listening to the ?, I was assaulted by a lot of emotions  ? ? ??. The ongoing war in the Ukraine has affected me in unexpected and very personal ways. By the use of these emoji I have expressed my feelings: disappointed, fearful, angry and anguished. Some may think this a lighthearted approach to a very serious and humanitarian crisis and in no way is that my intent but simply a demonstration of how a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Can you think of this type of language when it comes to health and safety? After all, pictograms were “a thing” long before emoji came along. WHMIS or the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System is Canada’s national hazard communication standard. The key elements of the system are hazard classification, cautionary labelling of containers, the provision of safety data sheets (SDSs) and worker education and training. Incorporation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling for chemicals (GHS) in WHMIS aligns the hazard classification and communication requirements of WHMIS with those used in the U.S. and other Canadian trading partners. This is important as hazardous products cross international borders where, what is considered dangerous in one country may not have the same designation in another. Know the symbols.

WHMIS is implemented by complementary federal, provincial and territorial legislation and regulations.

• The main purpose of the federal WHMIS legislation is to require suppliers of hazardous products intended for use, handling or storage in a workplace to classify those products and provide health and safety information about them to their customers.
• The main purpose of the provincial and territorial WHMIS legislation is to require employers to obtain health and safety information about hazardous products from their suppliers, and to use that information to train their workers.

Remember that workers must be trained on any hazardous products to which they may be exposed. This is mandatory when they join a company or when new products are introduced into the workplace.

Know your responsibilities, train your workers and keep them safe. Protect your workers from ? ? ? ?.

?wish you?and a safe ?!

Watch for next month’s Blog published in the first week of May.

Sincerely,

Carola Mittag

Consultant and Editor for Mentor Safety Consultants Inc.

The post Emoji appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The pandemic has changed the way we live, what we do, how we work and helped many of us prioritize what is and isn’t important. I believe we’ve all heard this statement and its many variations ad nauseum by now.

My priorities have been to purge, clear out unneeded, useless, irrelevant, redundant, immaterial, extra and extraneous “stuff”. In other words, a lot of my things have come out of the closet. Clothes that were once important and perceived to be needed in the business world are no longer relevant in my retirement.

In life there are many different closets that need to be purged. Our personal closets can be the obvious clothes closets or our private closets, including our mental and our physical states. But we also have fun closets, recreational closets, relationship closets and work closets because our lives are compartmentalized into these different areas. How you relate to your personal closets, how you use them and how you purge yourself of unneeded “stuff” in those closets is as individual as you.

Let’s look at our work closet, that part of our lives that takes up 90,000 hours for the average person over their lifetime. Because we spend so much of our time at work, we need to ensure that that time is well-spent, productive and rewarding. And, because our work responsibilities are diverse, whether as an employer, manager, supervisor or worker everybody approaches their work closet from their own perspective and according to their own needs.

What is common to everyone who works at any level is the need to return home safely. This means purging those things that put them at risk of illness, injury or death. It’s obvious that some jobs carry more risk of injury or illness by the very nature of the work and the equipment needed to carry out that work. In this case there must be a purge of broken equipment and/or processes that endanger workers as well as attitudes and beliefs that are no longer relevant in today’s workplaces.

Equipment and processes improvement are obvious fixes; however, they are dependent on the attitudes and beliefs of those in a position to facilitate those fixes, the employer or supervisor. They are also dependent on the conviction and actions of workers to refuse to work if they feel themselves endangered. It is every worker’s right to know about any dangers related to their jobs, to receive training relevant to doing their jobs safely and to refuse to work under dangerous conditions or when asked to use faulty, poorly maintained equipment. If these three worker rights are not upheld, then health and safety law (the Occupational Health and Safety Act – OHSA) is being broken.

Protecting yourselves from unhealthy and dangerous work is everyone’s responsibility and right! Allow yourself to purge your work closet of anything that might endanger you!

Watch for next month’s Blog published in the first week of April.

Sincerely,

Carola Mittag

Consultant and Editor for Mentor Safety Consultants Inc.

The post Cleaning Out the Closet appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The Chief Prevention Officer of the Ministry of Labour has approved Mentor Safety’s Niagara Working at Heights Training Program.

Program Length – 8 hours – 8:30 am – 4:30 PM
Course Fees – $150.00 + HST

Module 1: Working at Heights Basic Theory Module

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identification of the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Eliminating or Controlling the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Warning Methods and Physical Barriers
• Ladders and Similar Equipment
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment

Module 2: Working at Heights Practical Equipment Module

• Barriers and Safety Nets
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment
• Anchor Points
• Work Positioning Systems
• Work Access Equipment and Platforms
• Rescue Planning

Evaluation and Proof of Completion
All participants are required to pass a written test with a minimum mark of 75% and a practical test with a mark of 100%. Proof of completion will be provided.

Required: Photo I.D must be present at the beginning of class. Proper footwear is required, no open-toe shoes or high heeled shoes allowed. If you do not meet these requirements, Mentor can refuse you access to the classroom and you will not receive a refund.

Note: Group sessions can be booked either at our training location in London, Niagara or, at your location. Contact Mentor Safety for details.

Accommodations
Accommodations available upon request.

Greater Niagara Training Facility
Our newest facility has been conveniently located at the heart of the Greater Niagara Region so that we can service clients from all over the region. We provide all the necessary training equipment at our facility and focus on a hands-on learning environment.

The post Niagara Working At Heights (June 7, 2022) appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The Chief Prevention Officer of the Ministry of Labour has approved Mentor Safety’s Niagara Working at Heights Training Program.

Program Length – 8 hours – 8:30 am – 4:30 PM
Course Fees – $150.00 + HST

Module 1: Working at Heights Basic Theory Module

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identification of the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Eliminating or Controlling the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Warning Methods and Physical Barriers
• Ladders and Similar Equipment
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment

Module 2: Working at Heights Practical Equipment Module

• Barriers and Safety Nets
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment
• Anchor Points
• Work Positioning Systems
• Work Access Equipment and Platforms
• Rescue Planning

Evaluation and Proof of Completion
All participants are required to pass a written test with a minimum mark of 75% and a practical test with a mark of 100%. Proof of completion will be provided.

Required: Photo I.D must be present at the beginning of class. Proper footwear is required, no open-toe shoes or high heeled shoes allowed. If you do not meet these requirements, Mentor can refuse you access to the classroom and you will not receive a refund.

Note: Group sessions can be booked either at our training location in London, Niagara or, at your location. Contact Mentor Safety for details.

Accommodations
Accommodations available upon request.

Greater Niagara Training Facility
Our newest facility has been conveniently located at the heart of the Greater Niagara Region so that we can service clients from all over the region. We provide all the necessary training equipment at our facility and focus on a hands-on learning environment.

The post Niagara Working At Heights (May 4, 2022) appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The Chief Prevention Officer of the Ministry of Labour has approved Mentor Safety’s Niagara Working at Heights Training Program.

Program Length – 8 hours – 8:30 am – 4:30 PM
Course Fees – $150.00 + HST

Module 1: Working at Heights Basic Theory Module

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identification of the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Eliminating or Controlling the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Warning Methods and Physical Barriers
• Ladders and Similar Equipment
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment

Module 2: Working at Heights Practical Equipment Module

• Barriers and Safety Nets
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment
• Anchor Points
• Work Positioning Systems
• Work Access Equipment and Platforms
• Rescue Planning

Evaluation and Proof of Completion
All participants are required to pass a written test with a minimum mark of 75% and a practical test with a mark of 100%. Proof of completion will be provided.

Required: Photo I.D must be present at the beginning of class. Proper footwear is required, no open-toe shoes or high heeled shoes allowed. If you do not meet these requirements, Mentor can refuse you access to the classroom and you will not receive a refund.

Note: Group sessions can be booked either at our training location in London, Niagara or, at your location. Contact Mentor Safety for details.

Accommodations
Accommodations available upon request.

Greater Niagara Training Facility
Our newest facility has been conveniently located at the heart of the Greater Niagara Region so that we can service clients from all over the region. We provide all the necessary training equipment at our facility and focus on a hands-on learning environment.

The post Niagara Working At Heights (April 5, 2022) appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The Chief Prevention Officer of the Ministry of Labour has approved Mentor Safety’s Niagara Working at Heights Training Program.

Program Length – 8 hours – 8:30 am – 4:30 PM
Course Fees – $150.00 + HST

Module 1: Working at Heights Basic Theory Module

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identification of the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Eliminating or Controlling the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Warning Methods and Physical Barriers
• Ladders and Similar Equipment
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment

Module 2: Working at Heights Practical Equipment Module

• Barriers and Safety Nets
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment
• Anchor Points
• Work Positioning Systems
• Work Access Equipment and Platforms
• Rescue Planning

Evaluation and Proof of Completion
All participants are required to pass a written test with a minimum mark of 75% and a practical test with a mark of 100%. Proof of completion will be provided.

Required: Photo I.D must be present at the beginning of class. Proper footwear is required, no open-toe shoes or high heeled shoes allowed. If you do not meet these requirements, Mentor can refuse you access to the classroom and you will not receive a refund.

Note: Group sessions can be booked either at our training location in London, Niagara or, at your location. Contact Mentor Safety for details.

Accommodations
Accommodations available upon request.

Greater Niagara Training Facility
Our newest facility has been conveniently located at the heart of the Greater Niagara Region so that we can service clients from all over the region. We provide all the necessary training equipment at our facility and focus on a hands-on learning environment.

The post Niagara Working At Heights (March 4, 2022) appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.

The Chief Prevention Officer of the Ministry of Labour has approved Mentor Safety’s Niagara Working at Heights Training Program.

Program Length – 8 hours – 8:30 am – 4:30 PM
Course Fees – $150.00 + HST

Module 1: Working at Heights Basic Theory Module

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identification of the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Eliminating or Controlling the Hazards of Working at Heights
• Warning Methods and Physical Barriers
• Ladders and Similar Equipment
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment

Module 2: Working at Heights Practical Equipment Module

• Barriers and Safety Nets
• Personal Fall Protection Equipment
• Anchor Points
• Work Positioning Systems
• Work Access Equipment and Platforms
• Rescue Planning

Evaluation and Proof of Completion
All participants are required to pass a written test with a minimum mark of 75% and a practical test with a mark of 100%. Proof of completion will be provided.

Required: Photo I.D must be present at the beginning of class. Proper footwear is required, no open-toe shoes or high heeled shoes allowed. If you do not meet these requirements, Mentor can refuse you access to the classroom and you will not receive a refund.

Note: Group sessions can be booked either at our training location in London, Niagara or, at your location. Contact Mentor Safety for details.

Accommodations
Accommodations available upon request.

Greater Niagara Training Facility
Our newest facility has been conveniently located at the heart of the Greater Niagara Region so that we can service clients from all over the region. We provide all the necessary training equipment at our facility and focus on a hands-on learning environment.

25km (30 minutes) from Niagara

20km (20 minutes) from St. Catherines

25km (30 minutes) from Port. Colborne

10km (15 minutes) from Welland

60km (50 minutes) from Hamilton

The post Niagara Working At Heights (January 4, 2022) appeared first on Mentor Safety Consultants - A Safety Co Partner.