***Version française en bas de la page*** WHAT TO EXPECT? Various webinars throughout the week of November 2 – 6, 2020 offering school board risk management focused sessions for respective school board employee groups. ALL sessions are offered at no charge for OSBIE Members. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Principals, Vice Principals, Human Resources, Health & Safety, Facilities and Operations Management, Purchasing…
***Version française en bas de la page*** Ontario schools and school boards have been working hard to put COVID-19 policies and procedures in place with guidance from various education and public health agencies. We’re impressed and proud of the quick work and dedication to reopen schools for the 2020/2021 school year. We wanted to take the opportunity to outline some…
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Time: 2:00 PM EDT Speaker: Allison Palis, OSBIE Session Description: While playground equipment may be closed to students during the school day due to COVID-19, it is important that maintenance and inspection routines continue for those community members that use the equipment after-hours and on weekends. During this webinar we will discuss: The CAN/CSA Z614…
***Version française en bas de la page*** As part of the reopening process, school boards are looking at alternatives to traditional indoor classrooms to provide safe learning spaces for students and staff. We hope the following will highlight some risk considerations should an alternate location, equipment and/or furniture be part of the planning process. Use of alternate outdoor location –…
***Version française au bas de la page*** While the province is starting to relax restrictions and permit the reopening of businesses along with some outdoor recreational amenities and summer camp programs, school boards are starting to ask, “How do we manage this exposure?” Outlining the duty of care owed specific to COVID-19 will assist all school board staff to identify…
***Version française au bas de la page*** “Police search for suspects in elementary school arson in Brampton, causing millions in damage”: this type of headline is an unfortunate side effect of the school closures. Arsonists and vandals generally seek properties that are vacant or where operations are temporarily shut down. It is public knowledge that schools have been closed since…
***Version française au bas de la page*** The following are proactive steps that can be taken to minimize damage in advance of flood conditions and may assist in reducing the impact of flooding on your school building. These preparations are equally important during school closures. These practical steps can be taken immediately to reduce your risk profile: Include flood hazard…
***Version française au bas de la page*** The spring and summer months are generally the time that school boards are entering into various construction projects. With the Ford government identifying construction as an essential business our members, have several questions pertaining to their own construction projects, such as: Should we continue with our construction projects? What type of correspondence should…
On March 30 it was announced that Ontario is issuing a new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to close all outdoor recreational amenities, such as sports fields and playgrounds, effective immediately. The following are some tips to consider for alerting the public of the closure, reprinted by permission of the author, Scott Belair. Scott is…
***Version française au bas de la page*** Schools have always been regarded as short-term evacuation centers. With the schools currently being shut down indefinitely in conjunction with community needs to deal with COVID-19, we believe there is a chance that our members may be approached to help support their communities. We would expect most, if not all, school boards have…
