Canada Supervisor Health and Safety
Overview
Please review the information below and then return to the Supervisor Health and Safety Awareness course.
Applicable Laws
Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Government Office
Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Incident and injury reporting – Toll Free: (800) 661-0792
Yellowknife Office: (867) 920-3888; 1-800-661-0792
Iqaluit Office: (867) 979-8500; 1-877-404-4407
Inuvik Office – Industrial Safety: (867) 678-2311
http://www.wscc.nt.ca/
Rights
Of the Worker:
- The right to know
- The right to participate
- The right to refuse unsafe work
Duties
Of the Worker:
- Make all reasonable efforts to protect their own health and safety, and that of workers and other persons at, or near, the workplace.
- Cooperate with the employer and co-workers to protect the health and safety of everyone in the workplace.
- Use or wear all necessary PPE and safety devices according to manufacturers instructions and training.
- Follow safe work practices and procedures.
- Immediately report hazards to the supervisor or employer.
- Not carry out work, or operate a tool, appliance or equipment, where a present or potential hazard creates imminent danger to themselves or others.
- Participate in training and hazard assessments, where it is offered.
Of the Supervisor:
- Make all reasonable efforts to protect the health, safety and welfare of the workers under their supervision.
- Advise workers under their supervision of present and potential workplace hazards, and provide written or oral instructions about safety precautions that must be followed.
- Make sure the workers under their supervision use or wear personal protective equipment and safety devices required for their protection.
- Not allow employers, themselves, or workers to enter or remain at the workplace when impaired by an intoxicating substance or another cause that affects their ability to perform work safely or that may endanger themselves or others.
Of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee:
- Identify aspects of the workplace that may be unhealthy or unsafe
- Participate in workplace inspections
- May make recommendations for the enforcement of standards to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers at the workplace
- Receive complaints from workers as to their concerns about the health and safety of the workplace and their welfare
- Establish and promote health and safety educational programs for workers
- Maintain records on complaints
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
Employers with 20 or more workers must establish an occupational health and safety committee
- 2-12 members
- At least half the members must be worker representatives who are not connected to management
Employers with less than 20 workers can designate a worker health and safety representative
- The representative must not be connected to the management of the workplace
- The representative has the same duties as occupational health and safety committees
Right to Refuse Procedures
Workers may refuse to do work that they believe is dangerous to their health and safety, or the health and safety of another person at the workplace. Workers must not take advantage of this right to refuse work without reasonable grounds.
Where a worker wishes to use their right to refuse unsafe work, the following three step procedure must be used:
Step 1: The worker must first immediately report the precise conditions of their refusal to their supervisor. If the refusal is resolved to the workers satisfaction, the worker must return to work. If the refusal remains unresolved proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: The supervisor reports the unresolved work refusal to the OHS Committee or WHS Representative for investigation. If the refusal is resolved to the workers satisfaction, the worker must return to work. If the refusal remains unresolved proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: The employer (or worker) must immediately report the unresolved work refusal to regulator for investigation and resolution.
The employer or union may not take discriminatory actions against workers by dismissing them, deducting wages, salary or other benefits, or by through other disciplinary actions against them for reasonably refusing work under their rights.