Oregon Gives $5M for Farmworker Housing to Target OSHA Compliance

• Oregon has awarded $5 million in grants to farms for housing upgrades, including 12 farms that had Oregon Occupational Safety and Health violations for housing penalties in the last two years.
• The criteria for awarding the grants included registration with Oregon’s OSHA and using funds on existing housing.
• The state agriculture agency said there was no consideration given to whether grants should be given to farm operations that had recent OSHA violations.
  READ MORE

Canadian Officials to Meet on Safety Regs Harmonization

• Canada’s provincial deputy labor ministers will meet behind closed doors on Oct. 22 to discuss national safety certification harmonization, according to a statement from Employment and Social Development Canada.
• The meeting, involving officials from federal, provincial, and territorial governments, is expected to focus on aligning five to 10 key workplace safety certifications, with the aim of reducing duplication and improving worker mobility across jurisdictions.
• Sources say Ontario stakeholders consulted by the province over the summer collectively identified their top harmonization priorities, including entry-level construction training and supervisor training.
• These categories represent high-risk sectors or job functions where certification standards vary significantly between provinces, often requiring workers to repeat training when crossing provincial boundaries.
  READ MORE