Safety and Health Management Practices

I.

Organizational Commitment to Health and Safety

Management commitment is critical for developing a work site culture that allows
your health and safety management system to succeed.

Why should we pay attention to health and safety?

It is the right thing to do. Protecting workers from injury and illness is the right
thing to do.
Its the law. Occupational health and safety is about the prevention of workplace
injury or illness. Because it is such an important issue, there are laws in place to
ensure that Albertans have a safe and healthy place to work.
Health and Safety is also good business. Informed employers also realize that
health and safety is good business and that health and safety pays in more ways
than one.
More Business, Better Business. A safe and healthy business is a wellmanaged business. Thats why:
many companies check to ensure that suppliers have a good health
and safety record before they contract them for work or to provide
services
financial institutions are interested in a firms health and safety record
when considering a loan application
a good health and safety record shows that your building is a desirable
place to work and can increase your tenancy rates
a Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a pre-bid requirement on many
contracts
An unsafe business exposes you to liabilities that others dont
want to assume.
More Motivated Workers. An active commitment to health and safety lets
workers know that they matter most. You have already invested in your
workers through training and on-the-job experience. It makes sense to keep
them in their jobs by preventing injury and illness.
Better Quality. Many businesses, large and small, have found that the
quality of their products and services improved. Many factors contribute to
improved quality, such as
training
effective communication
worker involvement
a system for ensuring standards are met

Like quality, health and safety has to start at the top with management
commitment.

Measuring Your Commitment and Involvement.

As an employer, you should take every possible opportunity to show your workers
that you are committed to health and safety practices by becoming actively involved. Talk
to your workers about your health and safety practices. Offer your suggestions for
improvements, and solicit theirs. Make your workers feel comfortable coming to you to
discuss their concerns. At meetings, make sure health and safety is discussed and take an
active role.
II.

Responsibilities under Occupational Safety and Health

There are minimum legislated requirements that employers and workers need to
comply with. Know your responsibilities.

What are my Responsibilities under the OHS Legislation?

Whether your management company is big or small, based at one location or many,
you are legally responsible to make sure that the working environment is a safe and
healthy place to work.
Employer Responsibilities
Every employer shall ensure, as far as it is reasonably practicable for the employer
to do so, the health and safety of
workers engaged in the work of that employer, and
those workers not engaged in the work of that employer but present at the work
site at which that work is being carried out, and
that the workers engaged in the work of that employer are aware of their
responsibilities and duties under this Act, the regulations and the adopted code.
Worker Responsibilities
Safety is not just the employers job. Workers have many responsibilities as well.
These may include but are not limited to:
Workers must
take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and other
workers
cooperate with the employer for the purposes of protecting health and safety
immediately report to their employer any equipment that is in a condition
that will compromise the health or safety of workers using or transporting it,
will not perform the function for which it is intended or was designed, is not
strong enough for its purpose, or has an obvious defect
follow health and safety work procedures developed by their employer

 participate in and apply training provided by the employer regarding safe

operations of equipment or harmful substances they may be exposed to
wear personal protective equipment required by their employer
refuse to do work that may put them or another worker in imminent
danger.

What is the role of an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officer?

The role of an OHS Officer is to ensure that employers are meeting the minimum
legislated standards required in the OHS Act, Regulation and Code. Officers typically do
this through a combination of education and inspection at worksites.
OHS Officers may visit work sites for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
To address complaints received about possible health and safety concerns
To investigate a serious incident or worker fatality
To respond to a reportable incident under Section 18 of the OHS Act
To meet with an employer as part of the Occupational Health and Safety Employer
Injury and Illness Prevention Program
To conduct a presentation to provide information on the legislation
To conduct an inspection as a part of a strategic inspection initiative
To conduct an unannounced inspection of a worksite.
III.

Multiple Employer Environment

It is important to define your work sites and determine if you need to designate a
prime contractor where there is more than one employer working at the work site at the
same time.
It can become quite confusing as to who is in charge where there are several
employers working close to each other at the same time such as in a shopping mall or
office tower. If in doubt, ensure you consult all your legal contracts such as leases and
your legal representation, in addition to the applicable legislation.

How do I know if I need a Prime Contractor?

A work site with only one employer present does not require a prime contractor. A
work site having multiple employers engaged in work at the same time must have a
single prime contractor for the site.
What is a work site?
It is important to remember to define your work site when determining if you need
a prime contractor or not. This may need to be re-evaluated if changes are made to the
work site.

IV. Health and Safety Management Systems

What is a Health and Safety Management System?
A health and safety management system is a process to minimize the incidence of
injury and illness at the workplace. The scope and complexity of a health and safety
management system varies, depending on the type of workplace and the nature of the
work performed.
The purpose of a health and safety management system is to identify, assess and
control workplace hazards. To be effective and form the foundation of the health and
safety management system, the following components are considered in the Partnerships
in Injury Reduction Program.
Management leadership and organizational commitment
Hazard identification and assessment
Hazard control
Ongoing worksite inspections
Qualifications, orientations and training
Emergency response plan
Incident investigation
Program administration
V.

Company and Health Policy

The best way for management to show they are committed to health and safety is
to develop and display a health and safety policy statement.

Establishing a Company Health and Safety Policy

A written health and safety policy is an important part of managing health and
safety in your workplace and an important step in demonstrating management
commitment.
A health and safety policy states:
employers commitment to health and safety
overall goals and objectives for health and safety
many employers set zero incidents as their ultimate goal
to achieve their goals, employers must also have adequate systems of
incident tracking, reporting and investigation
the requirements set out in the OHS Act can serve as baseline goals for
employers
responsibilities of management, workers, as well as visitors and contractors, if
applicable
Process
1. Draft your company health and safety policy and have is signed by the owner or
CEO of the company.

2. Communicate the policy in prominent places at the work site such as health and
safety meetings and also post it for reference (i.e. bulletin boards, lunch rooms).
3. Include the health and safety policy as a part of new worker orientation.
4. Include the health and safety policy in the health and safety manual.
5. Ensure everyone commits to health and safety. Build it into performance reviews at
all levels.
6. Senior management should tour the worksite at least annually to communicate and
reinforce health and safety practices and behaviors.
7. Develop a process for addressing health and safety for contractors and visitors at
your site.
VI.

Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control

Conducting a detailed hazard identification, assessment and control process is
critical to ensuring worker safety.

Why Conduct a Hazard Assessment?

Assessing hazards means taking a careful look at what could harm workers at the
work site. The purpose of hazard assessment is to prevent work-related injury or illness to
workers.
In its simplest form, a hazard assessment answers the question What if
there is no guardrail around that elevated work platform?
seat belts are not worn in all company vehicles?
workers do not wear eye protection while grinding?
workers do not test the atmosphere before entering a vessel?
one of our workers becomes injured or dies because?

Benefits of performing a hazard assessment may include:

Reducing the number and severity of workplace injuries
Identifying the need for worker training
Identifying poor or missing procedures
Increasing worker participation and ownership of workplace health and safety
Reducing production losses and damage to equipment and property
Providing a useful tool when investigating incidents.

Employer Responsibilities
Employers must:
Assess a work site and identify existing and potential hazards before work begins
at the site or prior to the construction of a new work site
Involve affected workers in the hazard assessment process and ensure they are
informed of the hazards and the control or elimination of the hazards identified
Prepare a written and dated hazard assessment, including the methods used to
control or eliminate the hazards.

 When to Repeat the Hazard Assessment?

An employer must make sure that a hazard assessment is repeated:
At reasonably practicable intervals to prevent the development of unsafe and
unhealthy working conditions
When a new work process is introduced
When a work process or operation changes, or
Before the construction of significant additions or alterations at a new work site.
Who Should Conduct a Hazard Assessment?
It is best to have a few trained people with different perspectives involved to
ensure all the hazards are identified and the most appropriate control measures for the
situations are found. At a minimum, the employer and an affected worker must be
involved. Where possible, it can be beneficial to have a representative from the work site
health and safety committee.
VII.

Worksite Inspection
Work site inspections are one way to ensure you havent overlooked any hazards at
your worksite.

Worksite Inspection is a type of Hazard Identification

One of the most important ways to ensure the health and safety of your workplace
is to regularly inspect your work site to identify hazards, and then eliminate or control the
hazards. Inspection is an ongoing task as the workplace is constantly changing. Systems
of inspections that are both scheduled and unscheduled make identifying and controlling
hazards a normal part of everyday work. Formal inspections should be conducted by a
supervisor and a worker whenever possible.
Inspections provide two important pieces of information about the work site:
1. Information about hazards or potential hazards that have not previously been noted
2. The effectiveness of controls for eliminating or reducing the risk of known hazards
is confirmed.
VIII.

Harmful Substances W.H.M.I.S. (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)

Workers must be trained and competent to deal with the harmful substances and
chemicals they work with or are near.
Many building operators, through the course of their work, will encounter harmful
substances. It may be cleaning chemicals, a biocide used to condition water, pesticides
or even asbestos in a building. Having basic knowledge about how to deal with these
situations will help to ensure worker safety.
What is a harmful substance?

A harmful substance means a substance that, because of its properties, application

or presence, creates or could create a danger, including a chemical or biological hazard,
to the health and safety of a worker exposed to it.

Employer Responsibilities
If a worker may be exposed to a harmful substance at a work site, the employer
must
establish procedures that minimize the workers exposure to the harmful substance
ensure that a worker who may be exposed to the harmful substance
is trained in the procedures
applies the training, and
is informed of the health hazards associated with exposure to the harmful
substance.
Worker Exposure
If a worker may be exposed to a harmful substance at a work site, the employer
must
ensure the workers exposure is kept as low as reasonably achievable, and
the workers exposure does not exceed the occupational exposure limit.
What is an Occupational Exposure Limit?
An occupational exposure limit is the concentration of a chemical in the workplace
to which most people can be exposed without experiencing harmful effects3. There are
three different types of exposure limits but the one most commonly used is a Timeweighted average (TWA) exposure limit. This is average concentration of a chemical
in air for a normal 8-hour work day and 40-hour work week. In this way, higher and
lower exposures are averaged over the day or week.
Training
Employers must ensure that workers working with or near a controlled product
has training that includes information on
product labeling requirements
material safety data sheets (MSDS), their significance and information contained
on them
storage, use and handling procedures
how to transfer products between containers
how to deal with emergencies, spills and fugitive emissions.
IX.

Emergency Preparedness Response Plan

Emergency planning is critical to everyones safety when the unthinkable happens.

An emergency may be defined as any situation or occurrence of a serious nature,

developing suddenly and unexpectedly, and demanding immediate attention. 4
There are many types of emergencies including, but not limited to:
Fires
Spills
Critical injuries
Explosions
Medical emergencies
Vehicle collisions
Social unrest/rioting
Power or fuel loss
Workplace violence
Bomb threats
Natural disasters such as: ice storms, tornados or severe storms, floods
Planning and preparing in advance for emergencies is important. An emergency
response plan will protect the health, safety and lives of people at your work site. It will
also minimize business losses related to damage to the environment and property.

Emergency Response Plans

The emergency response plan must be written, and affected workers must be
consulted in the development of the plan.
The emergency response plan must include:
The identification of potential emergencies (based on the hazard assessment)
Procedures for dealing with the identified emergencies
The identification of, location of and operational procedures for emergency
equipment
The emergency response training requirements
The location and use of emergency facilities
The fire protection requirements
The alarm and emergency communication requirements
The first aid services required
Procedures for rescue and evacuation
The designated rescue and evacuation workers
Coordinating Emergency Response Plans
Although every employer in a multi-tenant building will have their own emergency
preparedness and response plan, the Alberta Fire Code requires a coordinated response to
ensure everyones safety in the following situations:
Emergency planning is required for occupancies that include:
Assembly, daycares or detention occupancy
Every building required by the Alberta Building Code to have a fire alarm system

 Demolition and construction sites

Storage areas required to have a fire safety plan examples include indoor rack
storage facilities, outdoor storage of hazardous materials
Areas where flammable and combustible liquids are stored or handled
Areas where hazardous processes or operations occur.

How do I develop an emergency response plan?

A very simple plan will be appropriate in offices, small retail shops and small
manufacturing settings where there are few or no hazardous materials or processes and
workers evacuate when alarms sound or when notified by public address systems. More
complex plans are required in workplaces containing hazardous materials or workplaces
that must delay evacuation after alarms sound to shut down critical equipment, for
example.
X.

First Aid
No one wants to hurt workers at their work site. Just in case it happens though, first
aid arrangements need to be established.

What is first aid?

First Aid means the immediate and temporary care given to an injured or ill
person at a work site using available equipment, supplies, facilities, or services, including
treatment to sustain life, to prevent a condition from becoming worse, or to promote
recovery.
Who is a first aider?
First Aider means an emergency first aider, standard first aider or advanced first
aider designated by an employer to provide first aid to workers at a work site.
Each level of first aid training can provide specific skills summarized below:
Emergency First Aid. The purpose of emergency first aid is to provide
basic first aid for life threatening situations. It covers the essentials of
maintaining an airway, effective breathing and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR), control of bleeding and how to prevent further injury
until medical care is available.
Standard First Aid. The standard first aid course covers the basic areas of
preserving life, preventing further injury and providing first aid care until
medical aid is available.
Advance First Aid. The advanced first aid course provides a more in-depth
coverage of basic first aid and also includes triage, rescue, transportation of
casualties and oxygen administration.

 Employer Responsibilities
Employers must ensure adequate first aid training, supplies and equipment for their
workers.
Employers are responsible for:
Providing first aid services, supplies and equipment
Ensuring that the services, supplies and equipment are located near the work site
they serve and are maintained, available and accessible during all working hours
Ensure workers know the location of or post signs directing people to the location
of first aid services, supplies and equipment
Ensure an emergency communication system is in place for workers to summon
first aid services
Ensuring arrangements are in place to transport injured or ill workers from the
work site to the nearest health care facility
Ensuring that first aiders are trained
Ensuring that injuries and acute illnesses are reported to the employer and
recorded, and that records are kept confidential.
In a multi-tenant facility, it may be more effective for the prime contractor, owner
or facility manager to coordinate these services for all work sites.
The employers and prime contractor for a work site may enter into a written
agreement to collectively provide first aid services, supplies and equipment and first aid
room (if required).

First Aid Records

Worker
If a worker has been injured, it needs to be reported to the employer, even if
it may seem minor at that time.
Workers must report any acute illness or injury5 at the work site to the
employer as soon as possible.
Employer
Employers must record, on a first aid record, every acute illness or injury
that occurs at the work site as soon as possible after it is reported to them.
The first aid record must contain:
Name of worker
Name and qualifications of the person giving first aid
Description of the illness or injury
Type of first aid given to the worker
Date and time of the illness or injury
Date and time the illness or injury was reported
Where at the work site the incident occurred
Work-related cause of the incident, if any.

The person in charge of first aid records must ensure they are kept confidential.
Access to first aid records is limited to the worker, the Director of Medical Services or a
person authorized by the Director of Medical Services, except where written permission
of the worker is obtained. First aid records must be kept for 3 years from the date of the
incident.

What is a health care facility?

A health care facility means a hospital, medical clinic or physicians office that can
dispense emergency medical treatment during the time the workers are at the work site.
First Aid Kits
The contents of first aid kits are standardized and are available at many safety
supply stores.
Kits for Vehicles
There is not a specific first aid kit for a vehicle. It is still based on the hazard
level of the work site (driving would generally be considered medium hazard) and
how many workers there are. It is best to use the kit for the maximum number of
people the vehicle can safely hold.