OHS Rights and Responsibilities

Worker Rights

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) provide employees with three basic rights:

1.  The right to participate

All employees have the right to participate in health and safety activities (e.g., attend safety meetings, participate in inspections or investigations, and complete safety courses). If you have recommendations to improve health and safety in the workplace, please report them to your supervisor.

2. The right to know

All employees have the right to know about the hazards they will encounter in their workplace duties and the controls in place to protect them. 

3. The right to refuse unsafe work

Should a situation arise where you feel you have been asked to perform work that may pose a serious risk to yourself or co-workers then you have a right to refuse that work in accordance with OHSR without disciplinary action. 

Safety Responsibilities

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is committed to providing a safe and healthy working and learning environment and to promoting positive attitudes and behaviors towards health and safety within the institution. Everyone in our organization has a role to play in keeping our workplace safe.

Employer 

Responsibilities of employer include but are not limited to: 

  1. Complying, at minimum, with the BC Workers’ Compensation Act, Occupation Health and Safety Regulation, and applicable health and safety legislation.
  2. Maintaining an OH&S program with the goal to prevent accidents, occupational injuries and diseases. 
  3. Providing information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of employees and other workers in carrying out their work.
  4. Supporting the recovery and rehabilitation of employees who have sustained a work-related injury or disease.
  5. Remedying any conditions in the workplace that are hazardous to the health or safety of workers. 
  6. Ensuring that workers are aware of all known health and safety hazards to which they are likely to be exposed to by their work.
  7. Ensuring that contractors and subcontractors hired by the KPU are given information that is necessary to identify and eliminate/control hazards to the health and safety of persons at the workplace.
  8. Ensuring that copies of the WorkSafeBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Workers Compensation Act are readily available for workers. 
  9. Cooperating with WorkSafeBC during inspections, incident investigations and other health and safety-related matters. 

Supervisors

Supervisors, as outlined in the Workers Compensation Act, are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all workers under their supervision. Under the OHSR, a supervisor is defined as " a person who instructs, directs and controls workers in the performance of their duties."  At KPU this includes individuals who are employed as Directors, Managers and Supervisors as well as Deans and Administrative Officers. It may also include other positions that exercise supervisory responsibilities.

Responsibilities of supervisors include but are not limited to: 

  1. Ensuring each employee under supervision is trained and able to demonstrate safe performance of their duties.
  2. Maintaining appropriate documentation on safety and health related activities. 
  3. Making available appropriate personal protective equipment for employee use. 
  4. Implementing and following the KPU's health and safety policies and procedures, Workers' Compensation Act, WorkSafeBC Occupational   Health and Safety Regulations, and other applicable legislation.  
  5. Investigating reports of unsafe conditions and practices in an expedient manner.
  6. Ensuring all equipment and facilities are in safe and proper working condition and that any defects are promptly reported and repaired.
  7. Reporting, investigating and documenting all work-related injuries and near misses promptly. 
  8. Establishing and implementing safe work procedures as required. 
  9. Ensuring that workers are aware of all known or reasonably foreseeable health and safety hazards in the area in which they work.
  10. Recognizing unsafe practices and conditions and reporting any concerns immediately to their Administrative Supervisor.
  11. Ensuring regular inspections are taking place as required and that deficiencies found during inspections are addressed and corrected. 
  12. Consulting with and cooperating with the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee or Worker Health and Safety Representative for the workplace. 

Employees 

Responsibilities of employees include but are not limited to:

  1. Complying with the KPU’s safety policies and procedures, Workers Compensation Act, WorkSafeBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and other applicable legislation.
  2. Complying with the health and safety policies and procedures of other organizations when they are engaged in university related activities. 
  3. Knowing and following established safe work procedures.
  4. Reporting all unsafe acts and conditions that they observe to their supervisor.
  5. Wearing approved personal protective equipment, devices and clothing as required.
  6. Reporting any work-related injury, no matter how slight, to the designated first aid attendant and to their supervisor.
  7. Cooperating and participating, as required, in incident or near miss investigations.
  8. Assuming responsibility for aspects of health and safety over which they have control. 
  9. Performing work in a safe manner and not engaging in conduct that may endanger themselves or any other person.
  10. Attending the workplace fit for duty (e.g., free of impairment by alcohol, drugs or other causes).

Students 

Responsibilities of students include but are not limited to:

  1. Complying with the KPU's safety policies and procedures associated with their university related activities. 
  2. Seeking guidance from their instructor or other University representative concerning safety related knowledge and skills required to ensure the safe performance of their university related activities. 
  3. Attending safety training programs and meetings, associated with their university related activities, as instructed.
  4. Reporting any incident, unsafe act, or condition promptly to their instructor or other University representative, with respect to university related activities.
  5. Complying with the health and safety policies and procedures of other organizations when they are engaged in university related activities (e.g., work placements).  

Contractors/Subcontractors 

Responsibilities of contractors/subcontractors include but are not limited to: ​​​​​​​

  1. Complying with KPU’s safety policies and procedures, Workers Compensation Act, WorkSafeBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and other applicable legislation.
  2. Gathering information from KPU about pre-existing hazards and how to eliminate or minimize them. 
  3. Ensuring workers of contractor(s) and subcontractor(s) are trained and qualified to perform their duties. 
  4. Providing supervision to their workers as applicable on the job site. 
  5. Notifying KPU of any hazards that might affect the safety of workers.