Facility Professional Development Sessions
Monday, October 16, 2023, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
FREE! No-cost registration - benefit of ORFA membership. Registration not required if you are registered in one of the training courses being offered at the Fall Professional Development Program.
Join us live in Mississauga, Ontario or connect virtually for a variety of Facility Professional Development Sessions focused on emerging issues, trends, and challenges. The recreation profession continues to evolve and these information sessions will challenge the traditional thinking around our industry and present strategies for recreation professionals to build into their daily practice or plan for the future of their operations. Participation in these sessions will have you leaving informed, updated, challenged, and prepared with new perspectives with regards to what is emerging that may impact the way we conduct business.
Session #1 - Refrigeration Safety and Awareness
This information session will focus on advancing technology and how it is assisting “owners” and “users” of industrial ice surface refrigeration equipment in their responsibilities of operating and managing equipment. As society continues to advance in the use of different management tools, it will be necessary to find a balance of direct human observation and remote monitoring opportunities. The Operating Engineers Regulation remains as originally approved with regards to plant monitoring and record keeping. Understanding regulatory obligations, as well as how technology can and cannot be used is critical when designing a plant operating and management plan.
Presenters: Technical Standards and Safety Authority, CIMCO Refrigeration, I.B. Storey, Marmak
Session #2 – Qualified Recreation Professionals is OUR Future
This information session will explore ORFA’s recently adopted position regarding an increased level of worker ability in regard to being “qualified” rather than “competent” to supervise or manage in our profession.
- The OHSA defines a “competent person” by the following core principles: (a) is qualified because of knowledge, training, and experience to organize the work and its performance, (b) is familiar with this Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and (c) has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.
- A qualified worker is someone with adequate knowledge, training, and experience to perform specific assigned work. They possess the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the essential functions of a job. They are trained and knowledgeable about the tasks they will be performing and must have the ability to identify and protect themselves and others from all risks and hazards associated with the work. They must be able to demonstrate and prove their proficiency in the work being undertaken. Failing to meet this level of expectation defines “unqualified worker”
What does this mean to the recreation facilities profession as we move forward?
Presenter: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, ORFA
Session #3 – Aquatic Operational and Management Trends and Issues
This information session will explore a variety of emerging issues and trends in the aquatic industry.
- The ORFA has set a strategic goal of creating a recognized level of qualification and training for the designated pool operator as required under Regulation 565. The Regulation currently identifies general guidance with regards to the qualifications of the pool operator. In the same spirit as the ORFA invested resources in working with the TSSA to develop minimum levels of competency for ice sheet refrigeration ‘users’, the ORFA will be working to set a minimum level of “qualifications and skills” for Ontario’s aquatic industry. Throughout this process, the ORFA will be inviting our members to help shape what these minimum levels will look like.
- A recent successful drowning in an Ontario indoor pool identified that a LED lighting retrofit project may have inadvertently contributed to the ability of the on-deck lifeguard to properly scan the pool. The ORFA will review a recently released resource that outlines the lessons learned from this incident and what factors should be considered anytime such a similar lighting retrofit is being considered.
- Is a 15-year-old lifeguard the right decision for your operation? As the province considers this change, ORFA members have mixed emotions with regards to benefits or operational risk.
- The ORFA will review a resource guideline developed to assist Public Health Inspectors to better understand the recreation facility sector when performing inspections. The investment in developing this resource guideline is in anticipation of creating a consistent inspection application and regulatory expectations by Public Health professionals.
Presenter: Amanda Nadeau, I.B. Storey, ORFA
This course is worth 6 professional development credits towards recertification of any ORFA professional designation
