Some businesses in Olds and area have received what the Better Business Bureau (BBB) calls “high-pressure phone calls” and frequent emails from a company urging business owners to make immediate changes to comply with new federal WHIMIS legislation.
WHIMIS is short for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, a system to provide information on safe use of hazardous materials in Canadian workplaces.
The BBB has investigated these complaints.
It says while an amendment to federal WHIMIS legislation was made on Feb. 11, 2015 regarding the classifying and labelling of hazardous workplace chemicals (“controlled products”), “businesses have until June 2018 to make the necessary changes in their workplace as well as offer up-to-date training for employees.”
The BBB says some Alberta businesses have received two calls a day from a firm that goes by the name of E-Workplace Training Inc. as well as e-WHIMIS Training Inc. or the Canadian Labour Compliance Agency.
A BBB email says “the company that has been calling Alberta businesses, called e-Workplace Training Inc., is not BBB-accredited, is based out of Ontario, has an ‘F' rating from BBB Serving Western Ontario as well as an alert on its BBB Business Review.
“Though there was an actual amendment made to the federal WHIMIS legislation, BBB is cautioning business owners that high-pressure phone calls and persistent emails do not constitute ethical business practices,” the BBB statement says.
It gives the following advice to businesses if they receive calls or frequent emails on the matter from firms:
Resist requests for urgent or immediate action.
Ask for a contact name and number that you can call back after you have had time to carefully read and understand what is being asked of you and your business.
Contact Occupational Health and Safety to confirm if your business is required to make changes and train employees and what the deadline is for doing so.
The BBB says for further information about changes to WHIMIS legislation, check out www.work.alberta.ca.
Olds & District Chamber of Commerce president Stephen Dodwell agrees businesses should be very careful if they receive calls and emails on this topic.
“My advice is that it's a sign of the times, businesses looking to increase revenue and not always through the nicest means,” he says. “That's why the BBB is there along with your chamber -- to warn and protect you against this kind of hard sell.”
"My advice is that it's a sign of the times, businesses looking to increase revenue and not always through the nicest means," he says. "That's why the BBB is there along with your chamber -- to warn and protect you against this kind of hard sell."STEPHEN DODWELL PRESIDENT OLDS & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
