Occupational Health and Safetyy Flashcards
Human resources professionals play an
important role in
Ensuring employee health
and safety, as they know the workplace, the
employees and their job demands.
HR can also help by supporting and having
membership in the health and safety
committee, communicating to employees the
organization’s commitment to occupational
health and safety, and training managers and
employees on safe work practices.
In the past, If an employee took on a risky occupation then that individual accepted the inherent risk in the job.
Employers were not responsible/liable for employee injuries. Todays environment is one that is
A shared responsibility between the employer and
employee.
The employer is expected to provide a safe work environment and the employee is expected to work safely. A hurt worker, hurts society and the economy. The goal is to rehabilitate people back to work
Collective liability:
Employers as a whole
are responsible for payment of benefits in specified industries.
No-fault system:
The worker is paid whether the accident is his fault, the employer’s to blame, or a co-worker is responsible.
Security of payment:
The worker is paid based on loss of earnings, regardless of the financial conditions of the employer.
three principles of occupational health and safety:
Collective liability, No-fault system, Security of payment
Workers Compensation Responsibilities - Injured workers will receive
payments while off work and will
have all medical bills paid if the injury is work related.
Workers Compensation Responsibilities injured workers will receive
a pension if the disability is or becomes
permanent.
Workers Compensation Responsibilities - Workers will receive pre-accident earnings if
They cannot
earn the same amount of money prior to the accident
Workers Compensation Responsibilities - Immediate family and dependents are entitled to
benefits payments if a worker is killed on the job
A & B Foundry and Machining in Franklin, Ohio, received a total of
more than $170,000 in fines from OSHA. The fines were for
Safety and health violations that led to the fines were a
lack of appropriate personal protective equipment and a lack of
training for employees.
OSHA also cited the company for inoperative safety latches on
crane hoists and a lack of guarding on machinery, among other
safety regulation violations.
Following a previous OSHA inspection, the company also was cited
for repeat violations, including failure to provide a fire extinguisher
and not providing noise and chemical hazards training.
Environmental Enterprises, Inc. is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has facilities
in other states. The company was cited with 22 safety and health violations, with fines totaling
$325,710 for
For lack of training regarding potentially dangerous
interactions among materials and tools.
This citation came after a fire and explosion at the company killed one worker and
severely burned another worker.
OSHA also found that the company willfully disregarded legal requirements by failing
to develop and implement hazardous waste handling procedures and by not providing
training to employees assigned to handle hazardous waste, among other deficiencies.
Gorilla Tree Service of American Canyon in California was
cited for
Seven safety violations after a 24-year-old worker
was tragically strangled by a rope that was accidentally pulled into a brush chipper.
The violations included an inability to document that the
deceased employee was properly trained, failure to ensure
that the chipper was adequately maintained, and failure to
protect from entanglement hazards.
The total fine was $23,200.
Of note, tree workers are 56 times more likely to suffer workrelated fatal accidents than the average across all industries.
The Workers Compensation Act
Requires an employer to immediately report
all serious injuries and fatalities.
As an employer, you are also responsible for reporting other types of injuries or
incidents on the Employer’s Report of Injury or Occupational Disease within
three days of their occurrence to WorkSafeBC
The following situations must be reported to WorkSafeBC:
The worker loses consciousness following the injury
o The worker is transported to a hospital or other place of medical treatment
o The injury requires medical treatment
o The worker states an intention to seek medical treatment
o The worker has received medical treatment
o The worker is unable to return to his or her work subsequent to the day of
injury
o The injury or accident resulted in the breakage of an artificial member,
eyeglasses, dentures, or a hearing aid
o The worker or WorkSafeBC has requested that an employer’s report be
submitted
OHS Legislation:
laws intended to protect the health and
safety of workers by minimizing workrelated accidents and illnesses
OHS Legislation laws fall into three categories:
o general health and safety rules
o rules for specific industries (e.g. mining)
o rules related to specific hazards (e.g.
asbestos
Vulnerable workers -
Young, new, aging, plus migrant/immigrant
workers - are disproportionately employed in physically demanding or
hazardous jobs. This puts them at higher risk for workplace injuries and
illnesses.
Because of the terms of their employment, they do not have access to
employment protections like occupational health and safety, employment
standards, and employment insurance benefits.
OHS Legislation:
Responsibilities & Rights of Employers & Employees Due Diligence -
employers are responsible for
taking every reasonable precaution to ensure
the health and safety of their workers
OHS Legislation:
Responsibilities & Rights of Employers & Employees. - specific duties of the employer include:
filing government accident reports
maintaining records
ensuring that safety rules are enforced
posting safety notices and legislative information
Employees are responsible
for
taking reasonable care to
protect their own health and
safety and, in most cases,
that of their co-worker.
Bill C-45
amendments to
the Criminal Code impose
a new duty on individuals
and organizations. Section
217.1 states: Everyone who
undertakes, or has the
authority, to direct how
another person does or
performs work or performs a
task is under a legal duty to
take reasonable step to
prevent bodily harm to that
person, or any other person,
arising from that work
JHSC is responsible for:
inspecting the workplace in order to identify potential
health and safety hazards
evaluating the hazards
implementing solutions
investigating employee complaints
investigating accidents
promoting measures to protect health and safety
disseminating information about health and safety laws
and regulations
Employees have three basic rights:
- the right to know about
workplace safety hazards - the right to participate in the
OHS process - the right to refuse unsafe work
