Understand your health and safety role, and the role of your staff and supervisors.
What is my health and safety role as an employer?
- Providing a safe and healthy workplace
- Ensuring that everyone in the workplace receives adequate training to work safely
- Keeping records of all training
- Having an occupational health and safety program in place, including a written health and safety policy and an incident investigation procedure
- Supporting all workers in health and safety activities
- Taking immediate action when a hazard is reported
- Reporting serious incidents to WorkSafeBC
- Providing first aid facilities and services
- Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) where required
What is my worker’s health and safety role?
- Knowing and following the health and safety requirements at work
- Asking for training and clarification if they don’t know how to do something safely
- Working safely and encouraging their co-workers to do the same
- Correcting or reporting any unsafe conditions on the jobsite — spills, loose cords, etc.
- Immediately reporting any injury to a first aid attendant or supervisor
What is my supervisor’s role?
- Instructing everyone under their supervision safe work procedures
- Training those they supervise for all assigned tasks and ensuring that those employees are working safely
- Making sure that tools and/or hazardous chemicals are only used by authorized, trained employees
- Ensuring that equipment and materials are safely handled, stored, and maintained
- Correcting unsafe acts and conditions
- Enforcing all health and safety requirements
- Developing health and safety rules and inspecting the workplace for hazards