The Internal Responsibility System
The Ontario Health and Safety Internal Responsibility System is a system, within an organization, where everyone has direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his or her job. It does not matter who or where the person is in the organization, they achieve health and safety in a way that suits the kind of work they do. Each person takes initiative on health and safety issues and works to solve problems and make improvements on an on-going basis.
One of the primary purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) is to facilitate a strong internal responsibility system (IRS) in the workplace. To this end, the OHSA lays out the duties of employers, supervisors, workers, constructors and workplace owners.
Supervisors and Workers
The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario provides definitions of the various categories of people in the workplace and assigns specific duties and responsibilities to them.
Under Canadian law (MOL-H&S Act), Principal Investigators are defined as employers/supervisors and are assigned responsibility for the safety of Students, PDFs, RAs, and others.
Who is a Supervisor?
A supervisor is anyone who has either charge of a workplace or authority over a worker.
This broad definition given in the Occupational Health & Safety Act is applicable in both the academic and administrative divisions of the University.
Thus in academic departments, individual faculty members or principal investigators have charge of a workplace (e.g. a laboratory) or have some degree of authority over graduate students, teaching assistants, administrative staff, or other University employees. In such a case they are supervisors as defined in the Act.
Among the administrative staff of the University, the supervisory role is generally more clearly defined and outlined in position descriptions. Please see Occupational Health and Safety Guide for Supervisors.
Who is a worker?
A worker is a person who is paid to perform work or supply service, including graduate students. Thus all University employees are workers. In addition, where students are paid to perform work, for example, teaching assistants, they become workers under the Act.
It is the policy of the University that it will be a safe and healthy place to work and study. Therefore, although they may not meet the precise definition of worker, students should be afforded the same protection that would be afforded a worker under the Act. Please see Occupational Health and Safety Guide for Supervisors, Duties of Supervisors and Workers.
Supervisors
Supervisors have a general legal duty to take every precaution reasonable under the circumstances to protect workers.
Workers
Workers must work in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
Health and Safety Policy
The University of Toronto Health and Safety Policy was approved by the Governing Council in May 2010. The policy states the University's commitment to maintaining a safe and healthful environment in which to work and to study.
Principal Investigators (Supervisors)
Under Canadian law (MOL-H&S Act), Principal Investigators (defined as employers/supervisors) are assigned responsibility for:
(Note: this is not a comprehensive list.)
- Supporting H&S initiatives and ensure safety procedures are followed. Ensure training.
- Designating Lab-Safety Officers to be point of contact for all safety related inquires and initiatives
- Designating Lab-Safety Trainers: key people for the completion of Onboarding training
- Providing appropriate PPE
- Overseeing lab-operations to ensure all SOPs are followed and all lab-practices are done safely
- Implementing corrective measures as soon as possible working with the CAO and H&S
- Supporting lab-safety officers without delegating their own responsibilities on these lab-safety officers
Lab Personnel
It is the responsibility of lab personnel to follow all SOPs and laboratory safety practices, learns about hazards, wears PPE, reports incidents, do not cut corners.
Chemistry Department Staff
It is the responsibility of staff to follow all guidelines, safety directives, signage and procedures as set out by the department.
The Department supports and promotes high Health & Safety Standards and the IRS. Tasks and responsibilities include:
(Note: this is not a comprehensive list)
- Development of policies, procedures
- Development and delivery of applicable safety training
- Facilitating risk assessments
- Responding to H&S inquires, incidents
- Encouraging H&S initiatives
- Seeking improvement of processes to reduce risks
- The CAO is available via email, phone call, and text 24/7 for emergencies.
- NOTE: Campus Safety (8-2222) is always the first call for emergencies after hours
- Ensuring H&S information is readily available on the Chemistry website