Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement on the trades’ safety tickets and their expiry dates.
Can the Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission explain what organization or regulating bodies determine how long a certification is valid for and is there a rationale provided for that length of time? As a hypothetical example, why would chain saw safety be valid for three years, and another safety certificate be valid for five years? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The determination of the certificate's expiry is at the discretion of the developer or provider and often with the input from the relevant associations or committees, such as the Canadian Standards Association, expiration dates are usually based on extensive research that are put into the competencies of that person being trained. Some of the areas that are considered when setting expiration dates may be the risk of the work, how often is this task performed, how often do practices change in order to keep the training up to date.
The differences between the length of the certification is related to the competencies. Evidence of the association or committees show that the person will lose their knowledge and gain - that would lose their knowledge and gain during the course of over a period of time and their competencies may diminish. Best practices and technology changes are considered. Shortened certification requirements help to ensure training is kept up to date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is what role does Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission have in ensuring that safety certification expiry dates reflect the unique context of the NWT, including small communities? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Outside of first aid, WSCC does not have a role in the certification expiry dates. This would be the discretion of the provider such as the Northern Safety Association or other safety certificate providers. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain if it is possible for an individual to have the expiry date for their safety certificates extended beyond the expiry date without having to retake a course? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The only time this had occurred was during COVID when the person training was not able to be granted an extension under those circumstances. But other than that, first aid, which is legislated, is the discretionary decision made by those who have developed and provided that specific training. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when one takes a chain saw safety training course, you learn the safety aspects surrounding the use of the chain saw. You learn to fall the tree safely, when to use emergency chain lock, using Teflon chaps, safety glasses, and a helmet. So the next time you take the course three years later, it is all the same. The same thing with taking fall arrest training, elevated work platform training, confined spaces training, and first aid.
Can the Minister engage WSCC to look into removing the expiry dates for all safety tickets? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to bring this back to WSCC, but I want to assure the Member that we don't offer those training certificate programs for smaller communities and the programs that he has identified and looking at those terms and the expiry dates of those as well, too, that we don't have a say on when those certificates are going to be expired because we don't offer those programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
