Accounting Finance:Occupational Health and Safety Policy Manual

Purpose Statement

uniPHARM is committed to the goal of providing, promoting, and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment, with a view to ongoing improvement. This goal is only achievable by adherence to established objectives striving to meet or exceed all obligations under applicable regulations and legislation, and by fostering a commitment to providing a safe working environment for all personnel including employees, contractors, and visitors. Occupational health and safety concerns will be incorporated into daily job duties and business decisions as appropriate.

It is acknowledged that:

Managers and supervisors will be working in cooperation with the Safety Committee, and will strive to take all reasonable steps to reduce workplace hazards to as low as possible.
Managers and supervisors are held accountable for the health and safety of all employees under their supervision. This includes responsibility for applicable training and instruction, appropriate follow-up on reported health and safety concerns, and implementation of recommended corrective action. This accountability is integrated into the performance appraisal system.
Managers, supervisors, employees, and visitors are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities in a safe manner, and are accountable for the health and safety of themselves and others.
uniPHARM is committed to providing all necessary training and instruction to ensure that appropriate work practices and safety procedures are followed on the job.
If necessary, uniPHARM will take disciplinary action where individuals fail to work in a healthy and safe manner, or do not comply with applicable legislation or company policies and procedures.

Health, safety, and the environment of the workplace are everyone’s responsibility. uniPHARM expects that everyone will join in our efforts and dedication on a continuous day-to-day basis to succeed in providing a healthy and safe working environment.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for workplace health and safety are specified under sections 115 to 124 of the Act. This section provides an overview of the responsibilities of the different members of the company.

Employer

uniPHARM is responsible for aspects related to hazard control and employee health and safety. In carrying out these duties, management demonstrates their commitment to health and safety in the workplace. uniPHARM is responsible for the following:

Ensure the health and safety of uniPHARM’s employees and other employees present at the workplace.
Provide general direction to management, supervisors, and employees about their responsibilities and roles in providing a safe and healthy workplace.
Provide specific direction and delegate authority to those responsible for health and safety.
Consult and cooperate with individuals carrying out occupational health and safety duties (i.e., safety committee members, first-aid attendants, etc.)
Provide employees with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to protect their health and safety.
Provide supervisors with the support and training necessary to carry out their health and safety responsibilities.
Provide and maintain protective equipment, devices, and clothing, and ensure that they are used.
Identify potential hazards through regular inspections, and either eliminate or control the hazards immediately.
Remedy any workplace conditions that are hazardous to employee health or safety.
Encourage employees to express concerns and suggest improvements on health and safety issues.

Managers and Supervisors

Managers and supervisors should give health and safety the same priority as productivity or quality control. They must know and comply with occupational health and safety requirements. All managers and supervisors are responsible for the health and safety of the employees under their control. Managers and supervisors are responsible for the following:

Ensure the health and safety of all employees under their direct supervision.
Know the WorkSafeBC requirements that apply to the work being supervised and ensure that they are followed.
Ensure that employees under their supervision are made aware of all known or reasonably foreseeable health and safety hazards where they work.
Consult and cooperate with safety committee members or employee health and safety representatives, and cooperate with others carrying out health and safety duties (including WorkSafeBC prevention officers).
Ensure that the appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing are available, properly worn when required, and properly inspected and maintained.
Investigate unsafe conditions reported to them and ensure that corrective action is taken without delay.
Be aware of all safety considerations when introducing a new process, procedure, machine, or material to the workplace.
Conduct a safety orientation for all new employees, as well as existing employees who are learning a new role. Include the risks associated with the role. Have employees sign-off on training.
Review all accidents and complete Incident Investigation Reports, when required, to ensure that documentation requirements are fulfilled and appropriate action is taken to prevent recurrence.
Inspect work areas often to detect unsafe conditions and work practices. If unsafe or harmful conditions are found, remedy the issue immediately.
Conduct monthly health and safety meetings and inspections.
Eliminate or minimize risks to employees by implementing control measures, training and educating staff, and evaluating controls for effectiveness.
Ensure that all employees are fit for duty. An employee must not be assigned to activities where a reported or observed impairment may create undue risk to the employee or anyone else. Consider the effects of alcohol, prescription and non-prescription drugs, and fatigue as potential sources of impairment. Substance Abuse Policy

Employees

Employees have general responsibilities for their own health and safety and that of other employees. In addition, employees have the responsibility to refuse unsafe work, and uniPHARM cannot take discriminatory action against employees for refusing to do unsafe work. Employees are responsible for the following:

Cooperate with the safety committee or employee health and safety representative, WorkSafeBC prevention officers, and any other person carrying out occupational health and safety duties.
Learn and follow safe work procedures, and adhere to all safety rules and regulations.
Be alert to hazards, and report hazards or problems to the supervisor or manager.
Perform work in a safe manner. Do not engage in horseplay or work while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or other causes.
Refuse to do work that would create an undue hazard to the health and safety of any person.
Never knowingly put yourself or others at risk. Encourage others to work safely and responsibly.
Participate in inspections and investigations where applicable.
Wear protective equipment as needed or required.
Do not operate any machinery or equipment without receiving the proper instructions.
Always report all injuries or symptoms immediately to your supervisor.
Maintain equipment in good, safe working order.
Assist in the creation of a safe work environment by recommending actions that will improve the effectiveness of the health and safety program.

Prime Contractors

In a multiple-employer workplace (where there are two or more employers working at the same time), a prime contractor should be specifically designated as a prime contractor for the purposes of the Workers Compensation Act through written agreement. If there is no written agreement, the owner is deemed to be the prime contractor. Each employer at a multi-employer workplace must designate a supervisor and inform the prime contractor of the supervisor’s name. Prime contractors are responsible for the following:

Ensure the coordination of occupational health and safety activities of employers, employees, and other persons at the workplace.
Establish and maintain a system or process that will ensure compliance with occupational health and safety requirements at the workplace. (Individual employers are still responsible for the health and safety of their own employees.)

Others

Suppliers of tools and equipment and directors and officers of a corporation also have responsibilities for health and safety under the Workers Compensation Act. If a person has two or more functions (i.e., employer and owner) then the person must meet the obligations of each function. For more information, see sections 120 to 124 of the Workers Compensation Act.

OHS Policy

uniPHARM’s formal OHS Policy strives to follow the Occupational Health Regulation and the Workers Compensation Act to ensure that proper work safe procedures are followed and health and safety are the top priority.

Regular Inspections

Regular inspections of the workplace are intended to:

Identify conditions and unsafe acts with the potential to cause injury or disease
Determine necessary corrective measures
Prevent unsafe work conditions from developing

Three different kinds of inspections:

Regular, planned workplace inspections: Inspect workplace, equipment, and work methods and practices for hazards that might cause injury. These inspections may be scheduled daily, weekly, or monthly to prevent unsafe conditions from developing.
Equipment inspections: Employees should be trained to inspect their equipment regularly, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation may also have specific requirements.
Special inspections: The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation require a special inspection after a malfunction or accident to ensure that work does not resume until it is safe to do so.

Workplace Inspections

An inspection team includes employee, management, and safety committee representatives. A worksite inspection checklist must be used to ensure inspections are thorough, results are recorded, and the inspection process is standardized. The checklist assists those of the team who may be unfamiliar with the work or inspection process and is adapted to the needs of uniPHARM’s workplace.

Any unsafe or harmful conditions found during a regular inspection must be reported immediately to the supervisor or manager, and remedied without delay. Record and communicate all findings. Provide a copy for the safety committee, and post the memo on the bulletin boards to be available for all employees to see.

Safety Committee Meetings

An extensive review of health and safety activities and incident trends will be discussed during safety committee meetings. These meetings will:

Review existing policies and procedures
Review feedback from employees
Consider reports and other information provided by the safety committee
Address questions or concerns brought directly to management
Review reports and other information about health and safety in workplaces performing similar work, as well as general information about workplace injury and disease prevention, to improve the existing OHS program

Recommendations for action from the safety committee will be considered and acted upon by:

Developing an action plan for implementing the recommendation, or
Suggesting an acceptable alternative

Safety committee decisions and activities on health and safety matters will be communicated to supervisors and employees.

Investigations

uniPHARM has procedures in place for investigating accidents and incidents that had the potential to cause an injury or health concerns. The purpose of an investigation is to identify the cause or causes and to recommend steps to prevent similar unsafe conditions.

What is an incident?

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation define an incident as “an accident or other occurrence which resulted in or had the potential for causing an injury or occupational disease.” Incidents include the following:

Accidents in which an employee is injured or killed
Accidents in which no one is hurt but equipment or property is damaged
Near misses (no visible injury or damage but the incident could have resulted in a serious injury, death, or property damage)
Serious incidents you need to report to WorkSafeBC

uniPHARM has a duty to report to WorkSafeBC of any serious incidents that:

Resulted in serious injury to an employee or the death of an employee
Involved a major structural failure or collapse of any equipment or a hoist.
Involved the major release of a hazardous substance
Involved a fire or explosion that had a potential for causing serious injury to an employee

To report a serious incident, call 604-276-3100 in the Lower Mainland or 1-888-621-SAFE (7233) toll-free in B.C.

In the event of a serious incident, the scene must be secured and left undisturbed until a WorkSafeBC officer releases it (except for attending to injured employees and preventing further injuries).

Incident Investigations

uniPHARM must immediately investigate the above serious incidents as well as any incidents that:

Resulted in injury to an employee requiring medical treatment
Did not involve injury to an employee, or involved only minor injury not requiring medical treatment, but had a potential for causing serious injury to an employee.

Incident investigations should be carried out by persons knowledgeable about the type of work being done. Investigations will involve manager/supervisor and employee representatives and members of the safety committee. An incident investigation report will include the following information:

The place, date, and time of the incident
The names and job titles of persons injured in the incident
The names of witnesses
A brief description of the incident
A statement of the sequence of events that led up to the incident
Identification of any unsafe conditions, acts, or procedures that contributed to the incident
Recommended corrective actions to prevent similar incidents
The name of persons who investigated the incident

Sections 172 to 177 of the Workers Compensation Act outline investigation and reporting requirements.

1. If one or more employees were injured, fill out

a. Form 7: Employer's Report of Injury or Occupational Disease and send copies to WorkSafeBC or submit online.

2. Determine who will investigate the incident.

3. Conduct a preliminary investigation to identify the unsafe conditions or acts that significantly contributed to the incident, and list the recommended corrective actions.

4. Conduct a full investigation:

a. Determine the cause or causes of the incident.

b. Identify any unsafe conditions, acts, or procedures that contributed to the incident.

c. Recommend corrective action to prevent similar incidents.

5. Prepare incident investigation report.

6. Provide copy of report to the safety committee (and to WorkSafeBC if required), and post the report at the workplace.

7. Take corrective action required to prevent reoccurrence of similar incidents.

8. Prepare follow-up report on corrective action taken.

9. Provide a copy of the corrective action reports to the safety committee, and post the report in the workplace.

10. Follow up to ensure corrective action was taken and was effective at preventing the recurrence of similar incidents.

For more detailed information about the investigation process, visit: Conducting an employer investigation on WorkSafeBC.