Are your safety tickets expiring shortly, and you鈥檙e not sure how you鈥檙e going to recertify them with all the closures going on due to the outbreak of COVID-19?
If your Energy Safety Canada (ESC) ticket was set to expire before Sept. 1, fear not. That ticket has likely just seen its expiry extended.聽
ESC said in a release on March 25 it 鈥渞ecognizes the challenges our industry and stakeholders are facing. Normal business has been significantly impacted as things continue to move fast and change quickly.鈥�
The organization has added to the list of certificate extensions and is granting extensions for the following courses:
鈥2S alive;
鈥irst line supervisor blowout prevention;
鈥econd line supervisors well control;
鈥ell service blowout prevention;
鈥oiled tubing well service blowout prevention;
鈥etection and control;
鈥ilfield driver awareness; and
鈥il Sand Safety Association fall protection, confined space and elevated work platform.
For these courses, any certificate of completion previously issued by ESC or the OSSA that has an expiry date between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1 will be deemed by Energy Safety Canada to have not expired and will remain valid up to and including Sept. 1, 2020.
OSSA certifications must bear the holographic OSSA security label and may be validated with the provider that issued the certificate.
Certificates will not be reprinted and no action is required to qualify for the extension. Worker profiles will be updated and can be verified using ESC鈥檚 online certificate validation tool.
On March 23, ESC temporarily closed to the public as a precautionary measure to protect its students and staff. During the closure, ESC is available by appointment for computer use for online proctored exams, replacement certificates and material pick-up for our network of authorized training providers.
Energy Safety Canada said it has been actively engaged with its stakeholders to discuss solutions to support workers and industry. The extension period and certifications included will be reviewed frequently. Regardless of the status of training certifications, employers remain the stewards of their worksites and maintain responsibility for assigning tasks to competent workers capable of performing the work safely.
鈥淭he situation is changing rapidly and we will continue to keep you informed of our decisions. We continue to monitor Health Authorities in areas where we operate to ensure we are following the latest guidance. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these unchartered waters,鈥� ESC said.
