This text is part of the special section Higher Education
The Université du Québec à Rimouski is currently developing a new short program in occupational health and safety that will be offered in Beauce in January 2023.
“We are convinced that it will arouse interest, especially given the new legal obligations which force employers to turn around very quickly”, explains Julien Lambrey de Souza, director of the continuing education and off-campus training department at the University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR).
Charles Côté, professor in the Department of Management Sciences at UQAR, set up this new short program of 1er occupational health and safety (OHS) cycle. He explains that in 2021, the Quebec government substantially amended the Act respecting occupational health and safety, which dated from 1979, to include in particular prevention in terms of the mental health of workers. “It changes everything. Employers urgently need an update. »
Julien Lambrey de Souza is awaiting the imminent green light from UQAR to officially launch the program which was originally scheduled to begin in September. “This kind of novelty always takes a little longer than expected,” he says.
This short OHS program responds to a request from the Appalaches University Center (CUA) located in Saint-Georges, an original structure that brings together 250 students.
“The region has mobilized to provide itself with a university offer. It is the CUA which acts as the interface with regional authorities, chambers of commerce, companies, associations, and which calls for tenders for programs requested by the community,” says Julien Lambrey de Souza.
Beauce at work
The short program is expected to accommodate 25 students, who will take five courses: OSH Management; Legal aspects of occupational injuries; Psychological dimensions in OHS; Management of OHS files; Environment, health and work.
Julien Lambrey de Souza explains that the offer will be multisite: the trainers will be present in Saint-Georges and Thetford Mines, alternately. “These are courses credited to the certificate for professionals who want to improve their OHS knowledge. »
From safety to health
UQAR, which already offers a certificate in OHS, has also developed a short program of 2e cycle under the impetus of Charles Côté, who is a kinesiologist by training.
“In law enforcement, the issues of personal protective equipment and site safety have been well followed, he says, but the watchword should be prevention. Unfortunately, changes all too often occur after a serious or fatal accident. »
He explained that the new version of the OHS Law will introduce a whole series of thresholds and new parameters next October, January and April. The most important development is the obligation to protect the mental health of workers.
“Employers will no longer be able to hide their heads in the sand. They will have to work on risk factors, such as mental overload, harassment, depression, work-family balance, schedules. I would say 25% were already doing it, but they will all have to establish policies and modernize. »
This change comes at a time when the younger generation no longer tolerates 50, 60 or 70 hour weeks and is rather allergic to authoritarian organizational structures.
He expects the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) to also change its ways of doing things. Currently, he explains, 67% of claims accepted for mental disorders relate to post-traumatic syndrome, but only 15% relate to cases of psychological harassment.
More OHS in HR
UQAR welcomes in particular to the Lévis campus 30 students per year for the certificate of 1er cycle and two groups of 25 in the second cycle. “I would say that 30% of our clientele is over 30 years old and three-quarters are women, including a good number of nurses tired of the compulsory overtime, he observes. They come to seek university knowledge in OHS management with a view to becoming preventionists. »
On the academic level, he deplores the lack of coordination between the programs in human resources management and those in OHS, whereas the link between the two is nevertheless obvious, which explains why a good number of students choose to do a baccalaureate. by accumulation. “Typically, they will do a certificate in human resources, another in OHS and another in management. »
CSST training must also follow the constant changes in society. Charles Côté likes to surprise students by telling them about “De Quervain’s tenosynovitis”, also called “texting disease”, a form of tendonitis that is spreading due to the excessive use of text messages.
As for psychological problems, he does not hesitate to speak of a scourge: for three years, depression has exceeded back pain as a factor in absenteeism, he says. “But back pain, which had decreased a lot, is back in force because of telework.
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