Employers have a primary duty to provide:
- Safe work environment
- Supervision
- Education
- Training
- Written instructions, and
- Comply with statutes and regulations
Supervisors:
- Ensuring that workers comply with the OH&S Act and regulations
- Ensuring that workers use/wear safety equipment
- Advising of possible hazards
- Provide written instructions if applicable
- Take responsible precaution to ensure the protection of workers
Worker:
- Comply with OH&S Act and regulations
- Properly use safety equipment
- Report hazards and defective equipment to supervisor
- Report violations of the act and regulations
Contractor – have similar duties as the employer, however they are also required to:
- notify the authority within a specified time
- depending on the jurisdiction file a “Notice of Project”
- Report designated substances likely to be encountered during a construction project
What contributes to human hazards, situational hazards, environmental hazards and ergonomic hazards? Human hazards – actions of individuals, poor judgment, and failing to do something
Situational hazards – defects in design, improper storage of hazardous materials, inadequate planning, layout, and design
Environmental hazards – physical factors such as noise, vibration, illumination.
- Chemical factors such as airborne toxic gases
- Biological agents such as viruses or parasites
- Ergonomic factors such as poor design or improper lifting techniques
Ergonomic hazards – inexperience and distinctive ways of doing work
Why is health and safety done in orientation and what would make sure is included?
Health and safety is done during the orientation to communicate the necessary safety information that each individual must know about their job and tasks. In theory, the administration of health and safety being conducted in the orientation helps reduces the risk of potential injuries and accidents, meets legislative requirements, increase efficiency of the new employees, and demonstrates the company’s moral obligation to protect the employee from harm.
In the orientation, management must include information pertaining to:
- Employee’s three basic rights
- Understand how to read WHMIS and
- Inform them of specific details about
MSDS labels workplace hazards
- Reporting unsafe work, defective
- Learn about WHMIS equipment - Hazard control and prevention
What is the role of a Health and Safety Committee?
Health and safety committees bring together workers and management to assist in the development and review of health and safety policies and procedures for the workplace. To carry out its functions, the health and safety committee is required to hold meetings and carry out regular inspections of the workplace.
The roles of the health and safety committee