Hazards At School

My youngest injured herself on an obvious hazard at school. A few Days Later I asked the school principal to reevaluate the hazard, she agreed. I stressed I did not have a solution but I wanted the safety issue discussed. The principal agreed said she was the Health and Safety Representative for the school. Later she told me that the Safety Committee Members decided to remove the hazard. Later a teacher, the principle claimed was on this committee told me she knew nothing about this issue or the committee.

Two years later my child was again was injured, in a freak accident, this time not one one staff member on site had Firs Aaid, this information was kept from me. The school secretary kept saying she did not get around to making a list of people with First Aid/ CPR, not saying no one had the training at the school to make the list.

A teacher told me that not one staff had first aid training, other than the school principle (who was out of the building at the time). The trustees thought this was a union issue not a safety issue, so they did not help, but knew of the issue.

Later I found out that training was indeed a safety issue (covered by WISB Safety Laws). I later found documents online claiming Halton schools obeyed WSIB guidelines when it came to staff being trained in First Aid/ CPR that were released shortly after the second injury.

After telling parents of the issues, dozens of parents complained or asked questions at the school, only then did the school act, in training staff. I have no idea if one of the parents told WSIB, or if the injury report from the school got to the WBSB. Perhaps the problem reached the board level somehow, and that's why Halton made the claim the laws were being meet.

The Halton District Catholic School Board updated their Operation Policy on First Aid:
The Halton Catholic District School Board will sponsor the following number of employees for each site to receive Standard First Aid and C.P.R./A.E.D. with Administrator approval:
• Elementary Schools - 2 employees
• Elementary Schools over 700 staff and students - 3 employees
• Elementary Schools over 900 staff and students - 4 employees
• Secondary Schools - 4 employees
• Central Office Sites - 2 employees 2. Each school site will meet the requirements of WSIB First Aid Regulation 1101 relating to first aid equipment, facilities and trained personnel

The Halton District School Board Letter:
Currently, the Human Resources Department trains staff in Standard First Aid in order to be compliant with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. The minimum training requires two staff are trained in every elementary school and three staff in every secondary school and administrative office. Standard First Aid training is a two day course that includes CPR, defibrillator and emergency first aid.