Module 1.1 - Everyone has a role in safety
Your first day on the job — a time to start a new challenge! You’re learning new skills and meeting new people, but you’re also encountering new hazards. No matter how safe the job appears, every job has hazards. The number of people in Ontario alone who suffer a work-related injury or illness each year would fill the seats of a dozen NHL-sized hockey arenas. Think about that for a minute…
Twelve NHL-sized hockey arenas...almost 250,000 people. *
New and young workers (i.e. 16-25) are more at risk (JPG, 2.4MB). Studies show that new and young workers in Ontario are four times more likely to get hurt during their first month on the job than at any other time. That’s because they often aren’t told about or don’t understand the hazards of the job. They don’t know what to expect from their employer, their supervisor and themselves. Sometimes they aren’t sure what questions to ask. Sometimes they don’t even know whom to ask. This training is meant to help orient all new workers (including young persons) at uOttawa.
* Reference – Ministry of Labour Workbook; p.2 (PDF, 711KB)
Module 1.2 - How the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) works
The OHSA is a set of laws that spell out the duties of the University and supervisors appointed by the University, and the rights and duties of workers employed by the University. There are also different regulations that are attached to the OHSA. The regulations contain more details about how to make the workplace safe in specific situations. For example, multiple regulations explain what is needed to work safely with chemicals and other hazardous materials. This includes training, warning labels on products and information sheets. There are also regulations for different types of workplaces, such as construction projects, health care facilities, industrial establishments and mines. The list is extensive.
The purpose of the OHSA and the regulations is to keep workers from getting hurt or sick on the job. Inspectors from the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) make sure the laws are followed and may issue orders or lay charges if they aren’t. If a person is convicted of breaking the law, there are penalties such as fines or time in prison. This includes penalties to individuals as well!
The OHSA gives everyone in the workplace specific duties. These duties are connected to the level of authority each person has in the workplace. To sort out all the duties in a workplace, the OHSA breaks them down to three main levels of authority:
- Employer (who is in charge of everyone – the University of Ottawa)
- Supervisor (who supervises people, or an area)
- Worker (you)
The employer (i.e. the University) has the most authority. It therefore has the greatest number of duties.
Module 1.3 - Employer's duties
Here are some of the things the OHSA says the University of Ottawa has to do:
- Make sure workers know about hazards and dangers in the workplace and how to work safely.
- Make sure every supervisor knows how to take care of health and safety on the job.
- Create health and safety policies and procedures for the workplace.
- Make sure everyone knows and follows the health and safety procedures.
- Make sure workers wear and use the right protective equipment.
- Post the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other health and safety related information, such as the health and safety poster.
- Do everything reasonable to keep workers from getting hurt or sick on the job.
Module 1.4 - Supervisor's duties
Here are some of the things the OHSA says all supervisors have to do as part of their job:
- Tell workers about hazards and dangers in the workplace and show them how to work safely.
- Make sure workers follow the law and the workplace health and safety policies and procedures.
- Make sure workers wear and use the right protective equipment.
- Do everything reasonable to keep workers from getting hurt or sick on the job.
Module 1.5 - Worker's duties
Now here are some of the things the OHSA says all workers (including you!) have to do as part of their jobs:
- Follow the law and the workplace health and safety policies and procedures.
- Always wear or use the protective equipment that the employer requires.
- Work and act in a way that won’t hurt them or any other worker.
- Report any hazard they find in the workplace to their supervisor.
- Complete mandatory training.
Suppose you have been asked to do something that you don’t know very much about. What should your employer and your supervisor do to make sure you are able to do it safely? The OHSA says that your supervisor and your employer have to “take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for your protection.” That means they have to do everything that is reasonable to protect your health and safety on the job.
Module 1.6 - Rights of workers
The University has the responsibility to make the workplace as safe as possible and to tell you about any hazards related to the work that you have been hired to do. Your supervisor has the same duty. It also has to make sure you know how to avoid these dangers and work safely. You have the right under the OHSA to be told about the potential hazards in the work you do and to be instructed on how to do your work safely.
If someone asks you to do work that you don’t know enough about, the University and your supervisor are responsible for making sure you know how to do the work safely. That’s why you have the right to speak up and ask questions — even if you are shy or unsure. People can get hurt on the job if they don’t have the right information and training. Asking questions is never a bad idea.
You also do not need to be worried that you will get in trouble for asking questions or reporting a health and safety problem or concern. It’s against the law for the University or your supervisor to reprimand you in any way for doing what the OHSA says or for asking about what the OHSA expects your supervisor or the University to do. Doing so is called a “reprisal.” It’s even against the law for your supervisor or the University to threaten to reprimand you for doing these things.
There’s another right —a very important one — the right to refuse unsafe work. All workers at uOttawa have the right to refuse unsafe work.
If, during your work activities, you have reason to believe that the work you are doing or the equipment you are using might hurt you or someone you work with, you can refuse to do that work. This means telling your supervisor or an appropriate University representative that you think you are in danger and you are not going to do the work. You need to say why you believe the work is unsafe. At uOttawa, once you report your concerns to your supervisor, a worker health and safety committee takes part in the supervisor’s investigation of the matter. If the supervisor agrees that the work endangers health and safety, then the proper corrective action is taken. If the corrective action addresses the concern, then work resumes.
If the supervisor does not agree the work endangers health and safety or you remain concerned after corrective measures have been attempted, you can contact the Office of the Chief Risk Officer, which coordinates with the Ministry of Labour to investigate. The MOL conducts its investigation in the presence of the worker, the supervisor and the worker committee member. In the meantime, you may be assigned alternative, reasonable work. Another worker could be asked to do the work that you refused, but that worker must be informed of the work refusal and its reasons in the presence of the worker committee member. Once the MOL concludes its investigation, a written decision is issued by the inspector and corrective action is taken, if ordered.
Do all workers have the right to refuse unsafe work? In specified circumstances, the right to refuse is limited for firefighters, police officers, workers employed in the operation of correctional institutions and similar institutions/facilities, or health care workers and persons employed in workplaces like hospitals, nursing homes, sanatoriums, homes for the aged, psychiatric institutions, mental health centres or rehabilitation facilities, residential group homes for persons with behavioural or emotional problems or a physical, mental or developmental disability, ambulance services, first aid clinics, licensed laboratories—or in any laundry, food service, power plant or technical service used by one of the above.
See the right to refuse unsafe work flow chart (PDF, 15KB).