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Support your employees with limited formal experience in occupational health and safety to enhance their skills, strategies, and capabilities, enabling them to manage the organization's occupational health and safety management system more effectively.
A comprehensive workplace inspection program may include daily inspections of equipment, initial startup inspections, walk-arounds of mobile equipment before use, daily and/or weekly supervisor inspections, and weekly and/or monthly departmental inspections. In addition to regularly scheduled inspections, you need to inspect your workplace after an incident or when you have added a new work process or new equipment.
Risk assessments are very important as they form an integral part of an occupational health and safety management plan. A risk assessment may be required by a constructor before work may begin on their job site.
- Create awareness of hazards and risks.
- Identify who may be at risk (e.g., workers, cleaners, visitors, contractors, the public, etc.).
- Determine whether a control program is required for a particular hazard.
- Determine if existing control measures are adequate or if more should be done.
- Prevent injuries or illnesses, especially when done at the design or planning stage.
- Prioritize hazards and control measures.
- Meet legal requirements where applicable.
- Determine how your workers will need to respond to emergencies.
- Establish communication methods to workers about an emergency and the need to evacuate or shelter in place.
- The emergency plan will include:
- How to contact emergency services, including internal and external emergency responders
- Evacuation routes and procedures
- List of emergency supplies and where they are stored
- Work processes that will need to be factored into your emergency plan, such as equipment shutdown
- Names of people or roles responsible for elements of the plan (e.g., designated emergency wardens)
- Review your first aid procedures and make sure they include emergency response situations.
- Training for all workers, including temporary and part-time workers, in your emergency response procedure will be provided so they can be included in your worker orientation.
- Conduct a drill at least once a year or when workplace circumstances change.
Investigate workplace accidents and incidents to determine root causes and recommend corrective actions.
Root cause analysis to identify systemic issues and prevent future incidents.
Employers are responsible for immediately investigating any incident that involves:
- Serious injury to a worker or a worker's death
- Injury requiring medical treatment
- Minor injury, or no injury, but had the potential for causing serious injury
- Major structural failure or collapse
- Major release of hazardous substances
- Diving incident, as defined by the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation
- Dangerous incident involving explosive materials
- Blasting incident causing personal injury
An effective program will:
- Identify and control hazards in the workplace.
- Help prevent injuries and disease.
- Limit an organization's financial losses resulting from injuries and disease.
- Promote a positive health and safety culture.
- Outline the importance of, and provide guidance on, health and safety processes such as workplace inspections, investigations, safe work procedures, management meetings for health and safety, joint health and safety committee requirements, and the tracking and trending of OHS records and statistics.
- Include sub-programs focused on health and safety issues pertinent to your site. For example, your site may have a specific lockout program, a fall protection program, or a confined space entry program.
The safety orientation will include the following, based on your worksite requirements:
- Occupational Health and Safety Rights: Explain how occupational health and safety regulations grant workers three rights, and how this is applied in your workplace:
- the right to know
- the right to participate, and
- the right to refuse unsafe work
- Company Safety Rules: Explain safety rules that are specific to your company.
- Training: Explain the health, safety and wellness policies of your company.
- Health and Safety: Inform the health and safety specialist that a new employee has joined the company who will need safety training. Arrange for this training and education to occur. Training and education may be needed in areas such as:
- housekeeping
- lifting techniques
- material handling
- safe operation of equipment, tools, etc.
- any other education or training required to complete the task or job safely
- Potential hazards: Tour the work areas and facility and discuss associated work area hazards and safe work practices. Be sure to include all sources of hazards, including biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical, psychosocial (including mental health, bullying, harassment and violence), safety, etc.
- Emergency Procedures: Show and explain how to use emergency eyewashes and showers, first aid kits, fire blankets, fire extinguishers, fire exits, and fire alarm pull boxes, as applicable. Demonstrate the evacuation procedures.
- Hazardous Products: Identify workspaces where hazardous products are used, stored or disposed of. Provide training as necessary, including WHMIS 2015.
- Food and Beverages: Explain that food and beverages are only permitted to be stored in refrigerators clearly labeled "FOOD ONLY".
- Hygiene: Explain the importance of washing hands before eating, drinking, or using the washroom.
- Emergency Notification Form: Have employees complete an emergency notification form. Keep a copy of your files and send a copy to human resources and/or emergency coordinator.
- WHMIS: Provide education about WHMIS. Identify the location of the Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). Review the SDSs for all hazardous products to be used by the employee. Explain hazardous product labeling requirements. Conduct job specific training.
- Emergency Evacuation: Review the company's emergency evacuation plan and explain the evacuation signals and procedures, point out proper exit routes and the designated assembly area for your Branch.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Review the PPE program and provide education and training if the employee will be required to wear protective equipment. Discuss appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that must be worn as required by the work being performed.
- In Case of Injury or Illness: Review the reporting procedures in the event of an injury and/or incident. Introduce first aid attendants and show where the first aid room and kits are located. Describe how to call for first aid if needed for themselves or for a co-worker.
- Health and Safety Committee/Representative: Supply a copy of the facility telephone list with the names of the Health and Safety Committee members or representative highlighted. Identify the location of the safety bulletin board. Explain how the employee can participate in the health and safety process (e.g., report hazards)
- Reporting unsafe Acts and Conditions: Explain the procedure for reporting acts or conditions that may be unsafe.
- General Rights and Responsibilities: Explain the employees’ rights and responsibilities as granted by legislation. (See the section of our OSH Answers on Legislation for more details.)
- Emergency Contact: Provide a list of names, addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers of the persons who must be contacted in the workplace in case of emergency.
- Document: Maintain a record of the orientation and all education and training received.
Toolbox talks conducted on a daily or weekly basis to reinforce your focus on safety. Toolbox talks, sometimes referred to as tailgate meetings or safety briefings, are short, informal safety meetings held at the start of each day or shift.
Toolbox talks are a great way to reinforce safety basics, focus on high-risk scenarios and to inform workers about changes to the job site and working conditions that may have occurred since their last shift. Discussion of any accidents or injuries that have occurred and how they could have been prevented.
Regular safety meetings help keep your team informed about health and safety issues while fostering a culture of shared responsibility. By integrating safety discussions into department, management, and company-wide meetings, you can address concerns, track progress, and promote both physical and psychological well-being in the workplace.
Before you start work on a new project, hold a safety kickoff meeting with all employees who will be setting foot on the job site. Kickoff meetings will be structured to cover the risks and workplace hazards that will be present throughout each stage of construction.
Safety topics covered in a kickoff meeting will include safe work practices for the various activities and tasks being performed, the selection and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and basic first aid practices.