Safety Workbook
Safety Workbook
Safety Workbook
Ministry of Labour
Contents
01 INTRODUCTION 03 03 04 STEP 1: GET ON BOARD Everyone has a role in safety How the Occupational Health and Safety Act works Duties of the employer Duties of the supervisor Duties of the worker Rights of the worker Step 1 Quiz STEP 2: GET IN THE KNOW You need to know about hazards Some common workplace hazards Protecting you from hazards Protective equipment and devices Other ways to find out about hazards Step 2 Quiz STEP 3: GET INVOLVED Working together for safety The right to participate in health and safety Health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees What to look for and what to ask Be a safety role model Step 3 Quiz STEP 4: GET MORE HELP You are not alone The right to refuse unsafe work More information and resources Step 4 Quiz WHATS NEXT? ANSWERS TO QUIZ QUESTIONS
06 07 08 09 11 13 13 14 17 18 19 21 23 23 24 25 26 28 29 31 31 33 34 37 39 41 42
Preventing injuries and illnesses at work starts here, with the things you learn in this workbook, but it doesnt end here. One of your employers duties under the OHSA is to give you specific information and instructions about how to stay safe on your job. What you learn from this program will help you start to understand those instructions. We hope you will use what you learn here every day of your working life.
www.ontario.ca/healthandsafetyatwork
The right answer is #1. 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. Thats because they often arent told about or dont understand the hazards of the job. They dont know what to expect from their employer, their supervisor and of themselves. Sometimes they arent sure what questions to ask. Sometimes they dont even know who to ask.
The whole point of the OHSA and Regulations is to keep workers from getting hurt or sick on the job. There are inspectors from the Ministry of Labour who make sure the laws are followed and may issue orders or lay charges if they arent. If a person is convicted of breaking the law, there are penalties such as fines or time in prison. The OHSA gives everyone in the workplace 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: 1. the employer (who is in charge of everyone) 2. the supervisor 3. the worker (you). To which of these three people do you think the OHSA gives the most duties? Check one of the boxes on pages 5 or 6 and explain why. 1. The employer Why?
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2. Make sure every supervisor knows how to take care of health and safety on the job. 3. Create health and safety policies and procedures for the workplace. 4. Make sure everyone knows and follows the health and safety procedures.
5. Make sure workers wear and use the right protective equipment. 6. Do everything reasonable to keep workers from getting hurt or sick on the job.
Its important for your safety that you understand everyones health and safety duties.
The people who made the OHSA thought about that question, too. The Act 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 you on the job.
www.ontario.ca/healthandsafetyatwork
You should never have to be worried that you will get in trouble for asking questions or reporting a problem. Its against the law for your employer or your supervisor to punish you in any way for doing what the OHSA says or for asking your employer or supervisor to do what the OHSA expects them to do. This is called a reprisal. Its even against the law for your supervisor or employer to threaten to punish or fire you for doing these things. You also have a right to refuse to do unsafe work if you have reason to believe it puts you or a fellow worker in danger. We will look at this right and your protection from reprisals in more detail later.
Step 1 Quiz
Before we move on to Step 2 of the program, here is a short quiz on the material we have just covered. (The answers are in the back of the workbook, but please dont look at them ahead of time.)
1. The number of people in Ontario who suffer a work-related illness or injury each year would fill the seats of a dozen big hockey arenas. Yes No 2. New workers are less likely to get hurt on the job than people who have been on the job longer. Yes No 3. The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations tell everyone from the employer to the newest worker how to make the workplace safer. Yes No 4. The OHSA puts the greatest responsibility on the employer to make sure no one gets hurt or sick on the job. Yes No 5. Its against the law for my employer to fire or punish me for doing what the OHSA says. Yes No
Think about the people you know. Do you know someone who has been hurt or killed at work? What was the hazard at the root of it? How did it affect you? How did it affect their family? Make some notes about your story in the space below.
2. Slipping, tripping or falling. Think of something as simple as spilled coffee on the floor, a cluttered work area, or a raised platform with no guardrails. 3. Working near motorized vehicles. Think of being hit by a dump truck that is backing up on a construction site. or someone getting hit by a forklift truck in a warehouse or on a loading dock. 4. Using or working near machinery. Over the years, many workers have been killed or seriously injured by the equipment they operated. 5. Workplace violence. It can happen in many workplaces such as to a gas station attendant working alone at night, or to a health care worker or a home care worker in those settings. Can you think of any other common workplace hazards especially ones in your own job? Here are a couple of possible examples. Try to list a few others. 1. Loud noise 2. No lighting 3. 4. 5.
You also need to think about less visible hazards related to your work things like chemicals, fumes, and toxic dust. Or germs and viruses in labs and healthcare workplaces. Some of these hazards can make you very sick. Sometimes they make you sick right away; other times you dont know that you are sick until months or even years later. Thats why its important to know about these hazards now. Its the employers duty to make sure that the supervisor knows enough and has enough experience and training to keep workers safe and healthy while they work. Its the employers and supervisors duty to inform workers of health and safety hazards. Its the workers duty to report hazards they know of to the supervisor or employer as soon as possible so they can fix it. Employers, supervisors and workers work together to make the workplace safer. Here are four important questions about your job that you need to know the answers to. If you dont know, ask your supervisor:
Can you think of any other health and safety questions you should ask? Here are a couple of examples. Try to list a few others.
What are the hazards of this job? Is there any special training needed for this job? Do I have the right protective equipment
for this job?
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If the hazard still exists after trying to control it through elimination, engineering controls and administrative or work practice controls, your employer may require you to use protective equipment and/or protective devices.
The OHSA says you have to make sure you dont use any equipment or machine in a way that could hurt you or any other worker. You also cant act or behave in a way that could hurt you or anyone else. That means no playing games, pranks or acting in other ways that could hurt someone.
If your job involves using equipment, your employer and supervisor must instruct you on how to operate that equipment safely. One way to get information on the safe use of machinery is from the operators manual. It tells you about hazards and has instructions on how to use the equipment safely. Your employer should make sure anyone can check the manual if they need information. If there is no manual available for the equipment you are using, you should ask your supervisor for information on how to operate the equipment safely. Another important way that you can learn about hazards is through training. Sometimes your employer will give you the training at your workplace; sometimes you will be sent somewhere else for training. Your employer also has to tell you how and where to get first aid, and what to do in an emergency. In a safe and healthy workplace, everyone knows about hazards. If you see a hazard on the job or a close call, report it to your supervisor or employer right away. That way, someone who knows how to fix it can deal with it so that no one gets hurt. Prevention Starts Here when everyone knows about hazards.
Step 2 Quiz
Here is a quick quiz on this part of the program. (The answers are in the back of the workbook, but please dont look at them ahead of time.)
1. The Occupational Health and Safety Act says that you have the right to know about hazards in your workplace. Yes No 2. If a hazard can make you sick, you will always start to feel sick right away. Yes No 3. To keep from getting hurt on the job, you need to find out about the hazards while youre working. Yes No 4. If you have any doubts about the safety of the work youre doing, you should keep those doubts to yourself. Yes No 5. If you see a hazard while youre working, you should report it to your supervisor or employer right away. Yes No
Health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees
The OHSA says that workplaces with 6 to 19 workers need to have a health and safety representative or a joint health and safety committee. In most larger workplaces with 20 or more workers, the OHSA says a joint health and safety committee has to be set up. Committees have to have at least two people on them; the workers or their union, if any, pick one of them and the employer picks the other. In workplaces where there are 50 or more workers, the committee must have at least four members, and at least half of the members have to represent workers. The committee plays an important role in helping to keep workplaces safe. For example, a member of the committee who represents workers must regularly inspect the workplace. Information from these inspections is brought back to the committee. The committee then makes recommendations to the employer to improve health and safety. The employer has to respond to these recommendations within a short period of time. Because there is an employer and a worker member of the committee, everyone has a say in identifying and solving problems.
In smaller workplaces, the health and safety representative has many of the same roles as a committee. They help to improve health and safety at work. They do this by inspecting the workplace often. If they find a problem, they make recommendations to the employer about how to fix it.
Always be on the lookout for hazards to yourself or others. Before you start your work day, ask yourself questions like:
Is any of the machinery broken? Are there warning labels or signs? Is there any moving equipment I could
get caught in?
Is there something I could slip or trip on? Do I need protective equipment? Do I know how to do this job safely?
Can you think of any other questions to ask yourself? Here are a couple of examples. Try to list a few more.
These are good questions for everyone in the workplace to ask. Prevention starts here, by paying attention to details and by following the OHSA and the workplace health and safety procedures.
Step 3 Quiz
Here is a quick quiz on this part of the program. (The answers are in the back of the workbook, but please dont look at them ahead of time.)
1. Its important that you know the safe way to do your job. You should share what you know. If you see a hazard, you must report it to your supervisor or employer. Yes No 2. You should get involved in health and safety by asking questions, and you should put what you learn from training into practice on the job. Yes No 3. If you cant find any health and safety information posted in your workplace, you should just go back to work and not worry about it. Yes No 4. Your health and safety representative or joint health and safety committee can help you with any concerns that you might have about working safely. Yes No 5. Its OK to take safety shortcuts to get the work done faster and on time. Yes No
Ministry of Labour inspectors cant be in all workplaces at all times. But the Ministry wants to hear if theres a problem on the job that isnt fixed anywhere in Ontario. So it has a toll-free number that you can call. Calling that number connects you to the Health and Safety Contact Centre that takes calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you dont want to give your name when you call the Health and Safety Contact Centre, you dont have to. Here is the number:
1-877-202-0008
Remember we mentioned reprisals before? Its against the law for your employer or your supervisor to fire or punish you for doing what the OHSA expects you to do, or because you asked them to do what the OHSA expects them to do. Its even against the law for your employer or supervisor to threaten to fire or punish you for these things. The OHSA is very clear on this. If you feel that your employer is taking action against you for raising a health and safety concern, you can discuss it with a union official if you are a member of a union, or bring a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board. If youre not sure what to do, you can call the Ministrys toll-free number for information. The Office of the Worker Adviser also provides free advice and representation to non-unionized workers who are in this situation. You can call their toll-free number for help: 1-855-659-7744
32 Health & Safety at Work Prevention Starts Here
put someone else in danger. Talk to your union, other workplace representatives, supervisor or employer if you think your right to refuse work may be limited by the work you do.
Four health and safety associations that provide sector specific consulting, training, products and services. www.healthandsafetyontario.ca Infrastructure Health and Safety Association serves electrical, construction and transportation sectors. 1-800-263-5024 Public Services Health and Safety Association serves health, education and municipal sectors. 1-877-250-7444 Workplace Safety North serves mining, pulp and paper and forestry sectors. 1-888-730-7821 Workplace Safety and Prevention Services serves industrial, farming and service sectors. 1-877-494-9777
Ministry of Labour
Develops, communicates and enforces occupational health and safety requirements and employment standards. Develops, coordinates and implements strategies to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses and can set standards for health and safety training. 1-877-202-0008 www.labour.gov.on.ca
An occupational health and safety training centre for workers, representatives and employers. 1-888-869-7950 www.whsc.on.ca
Six medical clinics located across Ontario that provide occupational health services and information. 1-877-817-0336 www.ohcow.on.ca
34 Health & Safety at Work Prevention Starts Here
Administers Ontarios no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers. 1-800-387-0750 www.wsib.on.ca The system is there to serve everyone in the workplace employers, supervisors and workers.
Another place you can go for information is the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. They have information and fact sheets on their website. If you are having trouble finding information, you can ask questions by telephone at 1-800-668-4284 or through their website at www.ccohs.ca. Prevention Starts Here, but it doesnt end here. To help you understand how Ontarios workplace health and safety system works together to help create healthier and safer workplaces, try to match the following list of organizations to their purpose. (The answers are in the back of the workbook, but please dont look at them ahead of time.) ORGANIZATION A. Ministry of Labour B. H ealth and Safety Ontario C. W orkplace Safety and Insurance Board D. W orkers Health and Safety Centre E. Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers PURPOSE __ H ealth and safety training __ E nforces the OHSA __ M edical clinics for injured or sick workers __ Insurance benefits for injured or sick workers __ Occupational health and B safety consulting, training, products and services
Step 4 Quiz
Heres a quiz on the information weve covered in Step 4. (The answers are in the back of the workbook, but please dont look at them ahead of time.)
1. If you report a dangerous situation to your supervisor and your health and safety representative and they cant find a way to fix it, you can call the Ministry of Labours toll-free number for help. Yes No 2. If you have reason to believe the equipment you are using might hurt you or someone you work with, you have the legal right to refuse the work. Yes No 3. Some workers, such as nurses, firefighters and police officers, have a limited right to refuse work. Yes No 4. Its against the law for your employer or your supervisor to fire or punish you for doing what the OHSA expects you to do, or for asking them to do what the OHSA expects them to do. Yes No
Whats Next
Now that you have completed this general awareness program, you are ready to be given more specific information and instruction by your employer and supervisor as required by the OHSA. You should hear about:
Where a copy of the OHSA is posted Where the names of your joint health
and safety committee members are posted
We hope this program has been useful and that youll use the information in your day-to-day work. Knowing your health and safety rights and duties, and the duties of your supervisor and employer, is an important first step in staying safe on the job.
Step 3 Quiz
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. No you should ask your supervisor where the information is posted 4. Yes 5. No all workers should set a good example and follow the law and workplace procedures.
Remember that when it comes to your health and safety, there is no such thing as a silly question. That question could save your lifeso ask it.
Step 2 Quiz
1. Yes the Act says its the duty of your employer and your supervisor to tell you about hazards in your workplace. 2. No some hazards might make you sick right away, but other hazards might not make you sick until months or even years later. 3. No you need to know about all the hazards before you start working. 4. No you need to talk to your supervisor or your employer about it. 5. Yes
Step 4 Quiz
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Yes 4. Yes
PURPOSE
D __ Health and safety training A __ Enforces the OHSA E __ Medical clinics for injured or sick workers C __ Insurance benefits for injured or sick workers B __ Occupational health and safety consulting, training, products and services
www.ontario.ca/healthandsafetyatwork
Queens Printer of Ontario Ministry of Labour ISBN 978-1-4606-0075-7 (Print) ISBN 978-1-4606-0076-4 (HTML) ISBN 978-1-4606-0077-1 (PDF - colour) ISBN 978-1-4606-0091-7 (PDF - simple) December 2012