Introduction (cont'd)
Occupational Health and Safety Acts are based on the premise that every worker is entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. These Acts place primary responsibility for health and safety issues in the hands of the people in the workplace, and gives them three basic rights:

  • the right to know about workplace hazards;
  • the right to participate in solving health and safety problems and
  • the right of workers to refuse dangerous work.

As an employee you can help ensure that your work place is safe, healthy and that you and your co-workers follow safe work practices.

The Provinces' Safety Acts gives you both the right to act and the responsibility to do so. It is all part of the internal responsibility which forms the foundation for the Acts and the governments Occupational Health and Safety Policies, and gives management, unions and individual employees a role to play.

Your Rights as an Employee
Right to Know

You are entitled to know about the issues that could affect your health and safety, as well as that of a co-worker.

Right to Refuse Dangerous Work

If you are asked to do work you have reason to believe is unsafe or unhealthy, you have the right to refuse.

Right to Participate

You can help your workplace in both health and safety by participating in Health and Safety Committees, by serving as an OH&S Representitive, by reporting unsafe conditions and by speaking out on OH&S issues.

Whose Responsibility is Safety in the Workplace?
In the workplace everyone has a responsibility to create safe and healthy conditions, however as an Employee or Management you also have specific responsibilities. Using prudence and good judgement while in the workplace can help you and your co-workers to avoid potentially dangerous situations; this is called Due Diligence. One way to apply Due Diligence to a situation would be to report a potential hazard or dangerous situation before an accident occurs.

What is due Diligence?

(click here to learn more on Due Diligence)

Employees' Responsibilities

As an employee you have the responsibility to work safely, and not risk your health and safety nor that of your co-workers. You must follow safe work procedures and report any safety and health concerns to your supervisor.

Management's Responsibilities

Management is responsible for ensuring that the workplace is safe and healthy and that employees are trained in safe working procedures. Each department develops its own program to implement the government's OH&S policy. The program includes such things as training and supervision; written work procedures; OH&S committees/representative; hazard identification system; the maintenance records and statistics; and maintaining and evaluating the program.

Departmental programs will put the commitment to OH&S outlined in the policy into action with clear steps to make workers and workplaces healthy and safe.

What Can You Do?
Get involved. Become informed. Participate in your health and safety committee - a forum to bring management and employees together to address health and safety issues in the workplace. Work with others in your workplace to create a safe and healthy environment.