Reg Bennett Director Occupational Health and Safety Department of Government Services

1. Reg BennettDirectorOccupational Health and Safety Department of Government Services Newfoundland and Labrador Employers Council Fall Conference November 15-16, 2004 Holiday Inn St. John’s, Newfoundland Policies and Programs: OHS Requirements

2. Purpose of Presentation • The Divisions perspective • OHS Policy • OHS Program. • Define a OHS Policy • Required Elements • Define OHS Program • Required Elements • An OHS Officers viewpoint in reviewing a policy and program. • PRIME requirements vs OHS requirements

3. Occupational Health and Safety • Mandate Accident and illness prevention is the primary goal of the Occupational Health and Safety Branch It is recognized that all workers have a fundamental right to a workplace that neither impairs their health nor imperils their safety This is achieved by working with stakeholders to establish, promote and enforce workplace practices, standards and procedures

4. Inspection Division • Primary Responsibilities: • Enforcement program • Maintain up to date legislation to address health and safety in consultation with stakeholders • Maintain standards of health and safety for the protection of workers • Prepare accident and morbidity statistics of workers

5. Inspection Division • Areas of Responsibility • Safety Inspections • Hygiene Assessments • Mining Safety • Radiation Protection

6. Responsibility of the OHS Officer • The OHS Officers are responsible for enforcing standards of safety by assessing the workplace health and safety conditions to ensure employers and workers are complying with occupational health and safety legislation

7. How does an OHS Officer end up in a Workplace? • Routine Inspection • Strategic Inspection • Special Initiative • Complaint/Work Refusal • Accident Investigation • Requested by an Employer

8. What is a Policy? An Occupational health and safety policy is a statement of the employer’s commitment to health and safety signed by the person/s responsible for the management of the employer’s operations in the province. The statement delineates respective responsibilities for occupational health and safety for all parties within the workplace.

9. Health and Safety Policy • Policy Requirements • Where <10 workers, an employer shall establish an OHS Policy in accordance with the Regulations • OHS Policy to be established in consultation with the Worker Representative • Posted in a prominent place

10. Health and Safety Policy (cont.) • OHS policy shall be signed by the employer and include: • employers commitment to cooperate with the worker representative and workers • responsibilities of the employer, supervisors, worker representative and workers • Employer shall review and where necessary, update the policy at least annually, in consultation with the worker representative

11. What is a OHS Program? • A program is a comprehensive plan of action which set instructions to direct employee and employer to perform work without injury or incident.

12. Health and Safety Program • Program Requirements • 10 or more workers employed, employer shall establish a OHS Program in accordance with Regulations • The OHS Program to be established in consultation with OHS Committee/Representative • The Program shall be in writing • Provided upon request to Committee/Representative or an Officer

13. Program shall be signed by the employer and include: • policy statement similar to that required for an H&S Policy • As well as: • written work procedures to implement H&S practices • a plan for orientating and training workers and supervisors • provisions for establishing and operating a Committee • a system for the recognition, evaluation and control of hazards • a plan for the control of biological and chemical substances

14. Program elements(Cont’d) • a system to ensure persons contracted by the employer comply with the program requirements • an emergency response plan • maintenance of records and statistics, with procedures to allow for access to them by entitled persons • provision for monitoring the Program

15. An OHS Officers viewpoint in reviewing a policy and program. • Documentation Review • Inspection protocol • Accident investigation protocol • Emergency Response • Auditing for continuous improvement • Review and monitoring work practices • identification, evaluation and control of workplace hazards • Safe work procedures • Measure Implementation • Field assessment • Management/employee interviews

16. PRIME vs OHS requirements • PRIME is a measurement of development (incentive) • OHS measures implementation (compliance)