14-31 – ​Director Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers General Safety Program

Cadet Administrative and Training Orders (CATOs)

General

1. The General Safety Program, Volume 1, Policy and Program, A-GG-040-001/AG-001 outlines the Department’s and Canadian Forces General Safety Program. It amplifies DAOD 2007-1 and provides the framework on which the Canadian Cadet Organization (CCO) formulates and implements its General Safety Programs.

2. The well-being of the cadets and all other personnel associated with the Cadet Program is of primary concern in the execution of all training and administrative tasks.  The CCO must comply with the DND/CF General Safety Program, which requires that safety considerations be incorporated into every aspect of cadet activities.  Furthermore, all personnel must participate in, and support, the General Safety Program.

Purpose

3. This order expands on the requirements of the General Safety Program and applies to all cadet corps/sqns, Cadet Summer Training Centers (CSTC) and Regional Cadet support and training establishments responsible for the execution of the cadet program.

Responsibility

4. The General Safety Program is structured on the principle of leadership.  In the CCO, the Regional Commander has responsibility and accountability and the Regional Cadet Support Unit (RCSU) CO is tasked to implement and coordinate safety management obligations throughout his/her area of responsibility.  In this regard the CO RCSU must include the following in the RSCU safety program:

1. a regional commander’s and/or RCSU CO’s signed occupational health and safety policy statement distributed and available to all members of the cadet organization;
2. a structured health and safety organization with a health and safety committee with prescribed responsibilities for occupational health and safety for all echelons of the regional cadet organization;
3. an effective education program of occupational health and safety, WHMIS and hazardous materiel handling training;
4. a system of periodic inspections and surveys by the line organization safety staff and qualified employees;
5. an effective hazardous occurrence investigation and reporting system; and
6. appointment of a trained and qualified staff officer as General Safety Officer to advise, coordinate and oversee the implementation of the program.

5. Unit General Safety Officer (UGSO). The UGSO is responsible to provide advice/support to the RCSU CO on issues related to general safety management. These include but are not limited to:

1. hazard occurrence causation, investigation and reporting;
2. inspections and surveys;
3. HAZMAT/WHMIS;
4. pertinent Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) legislation (e.g. Canada Labour Code, Part II) regulations, standards and policies;
5. personal protective equipment (PPE);
6. councils and committees; and
7. promotion and motivation.

6. Open lines of communication and reporting between RCSU GSO and Comd GSO, Cadet Det GSO and Sp Base GSO as well as Sp Base GSO and CSTC GSO, must be maintained.

7. Focal point for safety related issues rests with the UGSO at the Cadet Detachment and CSTC respectively.

8. The Director Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers (D Cdts & JCR) has produced and published orders that clarify and quantify actions to be taken with respect to the CCO General Safety Program.  These are as follows:

1. CATO 12-24 Reporting Procedures-Injuries, Immediate Death Therefrom, Exposure or Suspected Exposure to Toxic Substance or Material- Cadets and Civilian Instructors (CI);
2. CATO 12-26 Reporting of Significant Incidents; and
3. A-CR-CCP-951/PT-002 Royal Canadian Army Cadets Adventure Training Safety Standards.

9. D Cdts & JCR will promote compliance with the General Safety Program in all aspects of mandatory and directed optional training activities.

10. The CO RCSU will direct at the local level that the General Safety Program be implemented in all mandatory, directed optional and optional training activities.

Conclusion

11. Many challenging activities are offered to the Army, Sea and Air Cadets.  All of these activities present some element of risk and this danger is heightened because of their youth.  It is imperative that Cadet leadership and participants take every measure to mitigate the hazards and eliminate the danger.  In light of the above, all members of the CCO must place a high level of importance in complying with the General Safety Program.

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OPI:  D Cdts 5

Date:  Mar 07

Amendment:  Original