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.
The IRS 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.
Under Canadian law (MOL-H&S Act), Principal Investigators (defined as employers/supervisors) are assigned responsible for the safety of Students, PDFs, RAs, and others.
EVERYBODY PLAYS A ROLE: IRS (MOL)
Departmental Responsibilities
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
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.
