Health and Safety Policy (Item)

Health and Safety Policy

Approving Authority: President and Chief Executive Officer

Administrative Responsibility: Director, Policy Research & Advocacy

Original Approval Date: November 6th, 2024

Date of Most Recent Review/Revision:

Related Policies, Procedures, and Documents:

Executive Limitation #1 - Global Executive Constraint
Executive Limitation #2b - Treatment of Staff
Executive Limitation #2f - Asset Protection
Employee Standards and Performance Policy
Prevention of Workplace Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct
Prevention of Workplace Violence
Safe Disclosure Policy

1. Purpose

1.1. This policy outlines the Students’ Union’s expectations, standards, and best practices for health and safety.

2. Definitions

2.1. Employee: A paid worker of the Students’ Union.

2.2. Supervisor: The individual to whom an employee directly reports, or their designate.

2.3. Workplace: Any site at which the employee works, including any property or building utilized by the Students’ Union and any other place an employee is located while performing work for the Students’ Union or representing the organization.

2.3.1. Workplace includes operating Students’ Union equipment or a personal vehicle while the employee is on duty.

3. Jurisdiction/Scope

3.1. This policy applies to all Students’ Union employees.

4. Policy

4.1. All Students’ Union employees and volunteers have a legal responsibility to adhere to all applicable health and safety laws.

4.2. The Students’ Union will take every reasonable precaution to protect all employees, volunteers, and members of the Wilfrid Laurier University campuses on which it operates by minimizing hazards, preventing workplace injuries or illnesses, and protecting the environment by the following:

4.2.1. Using the Risk Assessment process to identify and addressing workplace hazards, including activities in off-campus settings.

4.2.2. Operating in an environmentally conscientious manner and minimizing impacts to our environment where feasible.

4.2.3. Achieving and maintaining compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal health and safety laws, and standards of regulatory authority respecting the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

4.2.4. Providing comprehensive and effective training to employees and volunteers.

4.2.5. Set health and safety objectives

4.2.6. Ensuring employees are compliant with the Fit for Work provisions of the Employee Standards and Performance Policy while undertaking their roles.

4.3. Supervisors must ensure that all employees reporting to them are made aware of, and comply with, all applicable health and safety policies and procedures.

4.4. All employees are responsible for ensuring that their workplace areas, both permanent and temporary, are safe and that any risks, hazards, and safety violations are identified, controlled, or mitigated.

4.5. All employees are required to complete all relevant health and safety training.

4.6. The Occupational Health and Safety Act prohibits employers from penalizing employees in reprisal for obeying the law or exercising their rights.

5. General Duties of Employers

5.1. Instruct, inform, and supervise workers to protect their health and safety.

5.2. Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of an employee.

5.3. Ensure supervisors have adequate knowledge of potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.

5.4. Assist in a medical emergency by providing any information, including confidential business information, to a qualified medical practitioner and other prescribed persons for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment.

5.5. Inform employees or volunteers about any hazard and train employees and volunteers in the handling, storage, use, disposal and transport of any equipment, substances, tools, and materials.

5.6. Help the Joint Health and Safety Committee and health and safety representatives carry out their functions.

5.7. Review the Health and Safety Policy at least once per year and set up an implementation program.

5.8. Post a copy of the of Health and Safety Policy in the workplace, where workers are most likely to see it.

5.9. Provide the Joint Health and Safety Committee with the results of any occupational health and safety reports that the employer has or receives.

5.10. Provide appropriate notification if potential inadequacies of a building, store, or any thereof of any part of the workplace has been identified.

6. Duties of Supervisors

6.1. Ensure that an employee works in the manner and with the protective devise, measures, and procedures required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

6.2. Ensure that any equipment, protective device or clothing required by the employer is used or worn by the employee.

6.3. Advise employees of any potential or actual health or safety dangers known by the Supervisor.

6.4. If prescribed, provide an employee with written instructions about the measures and procedures to be taken for the employee’s protection.

6.5. Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of employees.

7. Duties of Employees

7.1. Work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

7.2. Use or wear any equipment, protective devices or clothing required by the employer.

7.3. Report to the employer or supervisor any known missing or defective equipment or protective device that may endanger the employee or another employee.

7.4. Report any hazard or contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or regulations to their supervisor or employer.

7.5. Not remove or make ineffective any protective device or equipment required by the employer or by the regulations other than in circumstances where a temporary protective device is in place.

7.6. Not use or operate any equipment or work in a way that may endanger an employee or volunteer.

7.7. Not engage in any prank, contest, feat of strength, unnecessary running or rough and boisterous conduct.

8. Joint Health and Safety Committee

8.1. A joint health and safety committee is a workplace committee comprised of worker and management representatives.

8.1.1. At least half of the members of the Joint Health and Safety Committee must be non-management employees.

8.2. The committee has various powers, including monitoring health and safety in the workplace, identifying hazards in the workplace, and recommending health and safety improvements where and when required.

8.3. The committee is authorized to hold meetings and conduct regular workplace inspections and make written recommendations to the employer for the improvement of the health and safety of employees.

8.4. The Students’ Union has a general duty to cooperate with and help the committee carry out its functions.

8.4.1. The Students’ Union is required to:

8.4.1.1. Provide any information that the committee has the power to obtain from the employer.

8.4.1.2. Respond to committee recommendations in writing.

8.4.1.3. Give the committee copies of all written orders and reports issued by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

8.4.1.4. Report any workplace deaths, injuries, and illness to the committee.

9. Risk Assessment Process

9.1. The Risk Assessment Process allows the Students’ Union to identify present workplace risks, how those hazards could result in injury or illness, and take steps to control or mitigate those risks.

9.2. Risks assessments will take into consideration how low-priority risks become high-priority risks and the corresponding proactive steps required to address those risks.

9.3. All risk assessments will be:

9.3.1. Documented.

9.3.2. Reviewed on an annual basis by the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

9.3.3. Be made readily available to affected employees.

9.4. All employees will be:

9.4.1. Informed about a risk assessment taking place.

9.4.2. Consulted, if the risk assessment is taking place for their role, department, or location.

9.4.3. Provided the opportunity to participate in risk assessments.

9.5. Risk assessments are to be completed proactively, and when there are new tasks or equipment, or changes to existing equipment or processes.

9.6. Risk assessments must be completed when there is a workplace incident or accident.

9.7. Risk assessments must be completed if there have been more than two minor incidents or accidents requiring first aid in the workplace of the same type in the same fiscal year.

Risk Assessment Procedure

9.8. Human Resources will put together a cross-functional group of staff to complete the Risk Assessment Process.

9.8.1. Human Resources will ensure that staff involved in the risk assessment are properly trained.

9.8.2. The group will create a Hazard Registry and identify how these hazards could result in injury, illness or workplace loss, and determine the level of risk associated with each hazard.

9.8.3. The completed risk assessment shall include risk control measures, immediate actions, and other risk mitigation strategies.

9.8.4. The completed risk assessment should be shared with the President and Executive Director.

9.9. In instances of workplace harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct or workplace violence, the risk assessment process should refer to:

9.9.1. The Workplace Harassment Program located in the Prevention of Workplace Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct Policy, and

9.9.2. The Workplace Violence Prevention Program located in the Prevention of Workplace Violence Policy.