COMMERCE 2BC3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Workplace Violence, Antiseptic, Hand Washing
4 Jul 2018
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Chapter 12 – Safe, Secure and Productive Workforce
Employee Safety
-Employee safety is regulated by both the federal and provincial gov’ts, depending on the jurisdiction
-To fully max the safety and health of workers, employers need to go well beyond the letter of the law and
embrace its spirit
-Occupational Health and Safety Legislation:
oAuthorizes govts to establish and enforce occupational health and safety standards,
administrative requirements, and enforcement mechanisms in respect of the workplace,
including workplace inspections and prosecutions
oThe internal Responsibility system: a system within an organization where every person has
direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his or her job
The foundation of occupation H & S legislation a system within an org where every
person has a direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his/her job
Critical to the objective of a safe and healthy workplace is the implementation and
periodic review and revision of a comprehensive health and safety policy, procedures
for safe operations of equipment, training and promotion of safe practices, rules
prohibiting unsafe practices and disciplinary consequences for breaches of rules or other
unsafe practises as well as procedures for responding to accidents or unsafe uncidents
Keys to an effective IRS include:
Safety and safety akways
Safety is everyone’s responsibility
Safe work is efficient work
oEmployer duties and responsibilities
Employers are required by OHS to take every reasonable precaution to protect the H & S
of their workers
In order to meet this objective, the statute of each jurisdiction prescribes
detailed general and specific duties obligating employers to take steps to
implement measures to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace,
provide h&s devices, equipment and apparel, conduct inspections, maintain
equipment, appoint competent supervisors, train and educate supervisors and
works in HS procedures, practices, hazards and prevention, and create
effective and functional HS policies and committees
oEmployee Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities
Workers have positive legal duties and responsibilities in furtherance of protecting their
own and others HS at work
Generally have a duty to follow safety practices and procedures, comply with HS
instructions, and take all necessary and reasonable precautions to ensure their own and
others HS at work
Workers have the right to refuse unsafe work, giving them a sense of empowerment in
respect of their own HS
oJoint H&S committees
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JHSCs are mandated in all jurisdictions, although workplaces with very few workers may
be exempted from a formal committee requirement
Provide a forum of cooperative, proactive debate and dialogue of workplace HS issues
leading to an identification of HS probs, establishing creative solutions and planning and
implementing an effective plan of action
oEnforcement
Govt HS inspectors have broad powers flowing from the OHS statutes in each
jurisdiction
Inspectors are not only enforcement and policing agents, their expertise in HS law
makes them a valuable source for guidance and info in respect of interpreting and
understanding OHS laws and in achieving HS compliance
If an inspector finds a violation of HS laws he can issue orders or directions designed to
remedy the infraction and may require that they be posted in a visible place in the
workplace
Inspector’s remedial authority in this respect is far reaching, stop work orders,
prohibitions on the use of certain equipment or machinery, removal of employees from
the workplace until the hazard has been rectified or removed and banning the use of
certain hazardous chemicals or substances are not uncommon
oChemical Hazards
Although chemicals serve many useful purposes both at work and in our homes, they
pose serious risks to people and the environment if misused or mishandled, and if
proper safety precautions are not taken
There are many chemicals in the industrial setting in NA, with several new developed
each year
In Canada the WHMIS aka right to know legislation, has been incorporated into OHS
Works in conjunction with the federal hazardous products act which obligates
suppliers who sell or import hazardous materials for use in cdn workplaces to
properly label their products and provide material safety data sheet to
customers and users
oMSDS provide extensive info regarding the chemical’s composition,
risks, and what to do in the event of potentially harmful exposure
oThe Effect of OHS laws
The OHS legislation has been successful in raising the level of awareness of OS
-Understanding and Preventing Workplace Accidents
oMost accidents are preventable, they generally occur because of unsafe acts or unsafe conditions
Unsafe Acts:
Is directly attributable to human error
Such acts involve individual workers violating/disregarding a safety tule or
procedure or turning a blind eye to a safety hazard
Unsafe Conditions:
Are also caused by people and can be created at the hands of an individual
worker or may be symptomatic of a lax safety atmosphere and workplace
Personal and Occupational Characteristics
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 12 safe, secure and productive workforce. Employee safety is regulated by both the federal and provincial gov"ts, depending on the jurisdiction. To fully max the safety and health of workers, employers need to go well beyond the letter of the law and embrace its spirit. The foundation of occupation h & s legislation a system within an org where every person has a direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his/her job. Safe work is efficient work: employer duties and responsibilities. Employers are required by ohs to take every reasonable precaution to protect the h & s of their workers. Workers have positive legal duties and responsibilities in furtherance of protecting their own and others hs at work. Generally have a duty to follow safety practices and procedures, comply with hs instructions, and take all necessary and reasonable precautions to ensure their own and others hs at work.
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