Occupational Health and Safety

Employee Handbook 2011

Brooks Campus

WORKING TOWARD AN OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS

AND INJURY FREE MHC

Emergency Contact Numbers

In the event of an Emergency call

911

Internal
Facility Manager 403-362-1684
Maintenance/Security (24hrs) 403-633-1165
Manager EH&S 403-502-8439, or 952-8340
External
Poison Control Centre 1-800-332-1414
Environmental Emergency 1-800-222-1514
AB Mental Health Crisis Line -1-800-7795057

Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................... 4
Health and Safety Policy ................................................................... 4
Who is responsible for my health and safety? ...................................... 4
Alberta Occupation Health and Safety Legislation .......................... 5
Due Diligence .............................................................................. 5
What does reasonably practicable mean? .................................... 6
Internal Responsibility System (IRS) ............................................. 6
How do I refuse to do unsafe work? ............................................... 7
How is Senior Administration involved in health and safety? ........... 8
What health and safety resources are available to employees? .......... 8
What hazards will I face in my job? ............................................... 8
How do I report a hazard? ............................................................. 9
What types of incidents need to be reported? .................................. 9
Do I need to report an injury on the job to Human Resources? ....... 10
What happens after an incident is reported? .................................. 10
What first aid services are available to employees? ....................... 10
How does the college handle emergencies? .................................. 10
Does the college have an emergency alarm system? ...................... 11
Does the college conduct emergency drills? ................................. 11
What health and safety training is available to employees? ............ 11
Who provides personal protective equipment and training?............ 11
How can I become involved in health and safety? ......................... 12
How often is the health and safety program reviewed? .................. 12
What is WHMIS? ...................................................................... 12
What is a MSDS and where can I find one? .................................. 13
How do I get workplace labels for controlled products?................. 13
What security services are available on the Brooks campus? .......... 13

Introduction
This handbook is provided as a quick reference to assist employees in their
understanding of their responsibilities in support of the colleges
occupational health and safety efforts.
While at work, all employees are obligated to take reasonable care to
protect their own health and safety and the health and safety of any other
workers present at our work site. It is the colleges intention to foster a
collaborative and cooperative approach toward health and safety
performance among all college stakeholder groups.

Health and Safety Policy

Medicine Hat College is committed to providing and promoting a healthy
and safe environment for all members of the college community and will
conduct activities in a manner that complies with all legal obligations.
All individuals planning and conducting Medicine Hat College affairs or
using college facilities will systematically integrate health and safety
considerations into all activities that may impact Medicine Hat College, its
employees, students, or other members of the college community.
All employees, students and other members of the college community are
expected to report unsafe conditions and activities so these conditions can
be identified and corrected in a timely fashion.

Who is responsible for my health and safety?

All employees have responsibility for their own health and safety while at
work. Medicine Hat College can not achieve an occupational illness and
injury free work environment without all employees working toward this
goal. Specific responsibilities for employees are spelled out in the Alberta
Occupational Health and Safety Act (2009).
Every worker shall, while engaged in an occupation,
take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of the
worker and of other workers present while the worker is working,
and co-operate with the workers employer for the purposes of
protecting the health and safety of the worker, other workers
engaged in the work of the employer, and other workers not

engaged in the work of that employer but present at the work site
at which that work is being carried out.

Alberta Occupation Health and Safety Legislation

The Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code are the
legislation that sets standards for workplace health and safety. Their main
purpose is to prevent injuries, diseases and deaths, due to workplace
hazards. This legislation is administered by Alberta Employment,
Immigration and Industry and is enforced by Occupational Health and
Safety Officers. It describes specific requirements that must be met on the
worksite. If the requirements are not met, the Officer has the authority to
order corrective action or to shut the worksite down.
The OHS Act
The Act sets out the basic duties of owners, employers, workers, contractors
and suppliers. It gives the government power to make regulations and
codes (i.e. rules) about health and safety in the workplace. The OHS Act
sets standards to protect and support the health and safety of workers
throughout the province and gives Officers the authority to visit worksites
and enforce the requirements.
The OHS Regulation
The Regulation addresses certain requirements related to government policy
and administrative matters.
The OHS Code
The Code specifies all the technical standards and rules that employers and
workers must comply with to fulfill their obligations. The Code covers 41
different topic areas, such as hazard assessment and control, general safety,
noise, chemical hazards, violence in the workplace and first aid, to name a
few.

Due Diligence
Due diligence is the level of judgment, care, prudence, determination and
activity that a person would reasonably be expected to exhibit under
particular circumstances. Failure to prove that an employer or worker had
been duly diligent in complying with the OHS legislation can result in
significant penalties.

The OHS Act states:

2 (1) Every employer shall ensure, as far as it is reasonably
practicable for the employer to do so,
(a) the health and safety of
(i) workers engaged in the work of that employer, and
(ii) those workers not engaged in the work of that employer
but present at the worksite at which that work is being
carried out, and
(b) that the workers engaged in the work of that employer are
aware of their responsibilities and duties under this Act and the
regulations.

What does reasonably practicable mean?

At first glance, reasonably practicable looks like a pretty subjective way of
determining guilt or innocence. However, reasonably practicable is a
legally defined term that is assessed using the reasonable person test.
What would a dozen of your peers consider reasonable in a similar set of
circumstances? Your peers would likely look at what you did and compare
it against what they do. Some of them might do more, others less. Industry
standards and practices would also be considered. The result would be a
balanced and wise judgment that could be defended. Due diligence puts the
onus on an employer and workers to ensure they are working in compliance
with the OHS Act, Regulation and Code.

Internal Responsibility System (IRS)

The IRS refers to an internal system where each individual has direct
responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his or her job. It
does not matter who a person is or where the person sits in the
organizational structure, they achieve health and safety performance
through a collaborative and cooperative approach to hazard identification
and control. Each person takes initiative on health and safety issues and
works to solve problems and make improvements on an on-going basis.
For the IRS to function successfully, each employee of Medicine Hat
College must accept their personal obligations toward health and safety
performance.

Health and safety legislation in most Canadian jurisdictions, including

Alberta, is based on the IRS concept and includes rights and obligations that
allow all of us to participate in the process to continually improve health
and safety performance in our workplace. There are three tenets that anchor
the IRS.
The Right to Know all employees have the right to know about hazards
that may impact them at a workplace. The employee also has a right to
know about control measures put in place to protect them from the
identified hazards.
The Right to Participate all employees have a right to participate in the
creation of a healthy and safe work environment. Employees are asked to
participate in the development of health and safety programs and to
participate in hazard identification and control exercises.
The Right to Refuse all employees are statutorily obligated to refuse work
that they feel would pose a risk of imminent danger and are free to do so
without the risk of reprisal. Imminently dangerous refers to any danger that
is not normal for the job or any dangerous conditions under which a worker
would not normally carry out the work. If workers think their work may
put them or another worker in imminent danger, they must refuse to do it.

How do I refuse to do unsafe work?

If you believe that your work may put you or another worker in imminent
danger, you are obligated to refuse to perform the work in question. Notify
your supervisor as soon as practicable about the refusal and explain why
you stopped work. Your supervisor must report the refusal to the
Environment Health and Safety Office, investigate the situation and take
action to correct the danger.
Your supervisor may assign another worker to do the work if that worker is
trained to handle the danger. If your supervisor does not agree that there is
a danger, or if you can not agree on a way to fix the problem contact the
Environment Health and Safety office for further assistance.

How is Senior Administration involved in health and

safety?
Senior administration have approved policies and committed resources
towards the ultimate goal of having an occupational illness and injury free
work site. Senior administration is involved in continuous health and safety
improvement efforts and regularly emphasizes the importance of health and
safety to their employees. Senior administration stays abreast of health and
safety initiatives on campus and participates in regular briefings on health
and safety performance and is actively involved in the health and safety
planning process directing the colleges occupational health and safety
efforts.

What health and safety resources are available to

employees?
The Environment Health and Safety Office is located in F-Wing of the main
campus in Medicine Hat. The Office is open between 0800 and 1600 on
weekdays or contacted by email at rsloan@mhc.ab.ca.
Health and Safety information is distributed through the EHS SharePoint
Site available internally on campus.

What hazards will I face in my job?

The college has implemented an ongoing process of hazard assessment for
each functional occupation on campus. Employees along with their
supervisors must complete a hazard assessment of their jobs to identify any
hazards that might exist. The Health and Safety Committee reviews the
hazard assessments on a regular basis to ensure hazards are controlled and
worker exposure is minimized. Supervisors must review the hazard
assessments on a regular basis and when new tasks are added or working
conditions change to the point where new hazards are introduced to the
worksite.
The hazard assessments are compiled into a master collection which is
available for review in the Environment Health and Safety Office.
Additionally, on line review and update is available by selecting the Hazard
Assessment link on the EHS SharePoint site.

How do I report a hazard?

Chemical, biological, physical or psychosocial hazards exist in all
workplaces and our college is no exception. Our health and safety program
strives to identify and control hazardous situations before they result in
incidents. Our employees are a large part of our hazard recognition and
control efforts. If you identify a hazard, it is your responsibility to report it
to your immediate supervisor. The hazard must also be reported to the
Environment Health and Safety Office by using the incident report form.
The form can be completed on line and submitted electronically. In the
event that the hazard requires immediate control please contact the
Environment Health and Safety office directly.
The report form is a multi-use form used for the reporting of hazards, near
misses and incidents involving injury, property damage and material loss.
The report form can also be printed and completed by hand.
The primary goal is to have the identified hazard addressed to ensure that it
will not negatively impact any of our stakeholders. Concerns identified by
any member of the college community can also be forwarded to any
member of the college Health and Safety Committee. A listing of current
committee membership can be found on the College Website through the
Environment Health and Safety link on the EHS SharePoint site home page.

What types of incidents need to be reported?

All injury, property damage and material loss incidents occurring at
Medicine Hat College require formal reporting. Incidents include any event
that caused or had the potential to cause injury, damage or material loss.
This broad definition includes events typically referred to as near misses.
A near miss is an incident that under slightly different circumstances could
have resulted in injury, damage or material loss. Near miss reporting is an
extremely valuable tool in the health and safety continuous improvement
efforts. The reporting of near misses allows for the identification of
improvement opportunities within our health and safety program, without
having suffered damage to our facility or more importantly injury to one of
our people.
Employees should follow the same process for reporting incidents involving
injury, property damage or material loss as they do for reporting identified
hazards.
For example, an employee was moving a large compressed gas cylinder and
it fell off of the cart it was being transported on. The cylinder did not

receive any damage, there was no damage to the facility as a result of the
cylinder falling and the employee was not injured when the cylinder fell.
The employee was able to stand the cylinder upright and place it back on
the cart without further incident. The potential for far more serious
consequences existed and by reporting this near miss event, control
measures were implemented that included additional means of securing
cylinders when they are being transported.

Do I need to report an injury on the job to Human

Resources?
Yes! The workers compensation board of Alberta requires that all
workplace injuries be reported within 72 hours. Please contact the HR
office directly.

What happens after an incident is reported?

Every incident report is reviewed by the area supervisor and the Manager,
Environment Health and safety. They will attempt to identify all causal
factors so that control measures can be implemented to prevent recurrence
of the incident. Additional follow up and formal investigation is conducted
where warranted. After reporting an incident or hazard you can expect a
follow up call from the Environment Health and Safety office.

What first aid services are available to employees?

First aid supplies are located in numerous locations across the Brooks
campus. Locations providing first aid supplies are identified by a sign
above the doorway to the room where the
supplies are kept. A list of qualified First
Aiders is also posted in this area.
FIRST AID

KIT

How does the college handle emergencies?

The college has a comprehensive emergency response plan
covering all reasonably foreseeable events. This plan is
implemented under the direction of an appointed Emergency
Director, usually the Manager of the Brooks Campus.
Individual emergency response procedures are provided to all

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employees upon hiring and are available through the college

website and sharepoint site.
Does the college have an emergency alarm system?
The college has an alarm system for fire and life safety. Alarm pull stations
are located throughout the campus and there are automatic fire detection
devices located throughout the Brooks campus. Each area of the Brooks
Campus is served by a volunteer Emergency Warden who acts under the
direction of the Fire Marshall. Emergency Wardens help direct faculty,
staff, students and visitors out of the building to assembly points during
alarm situations. All employees and students are required to follow the
directions of Emergency Wardens during and event. Failure to follow
directions will be reported to the area supervisor.

Does the college conduct emergency drills?

Yes, at the start of each semester. Without emergency drills, emergency
procedures will not work effectively. When an alarm is sounded, personnel
do not have the time to read manuals and determine how to react. It is
important that all personnel participate in drills and treat every alarm as
though it were a real event. Emergency drills do not take a great deal of
time to complete and although they may seem like an inconvenience they
are an important and mandatory part of our fire and life safety efforts.
Please cooperate with Emergency Wardens in your area. If you are
supervising students, please make a habit of reviewing emergency
procedures with them at the start of each semester and reviewing the
evacuation maps posted in each classroom.

What health and safety training is available to employees?

Senior administration at Medicine Hat College supports the continued
training of all staff in occupational health and safety topics. The
Environment Health and Safety Office coordinates mandatory and
voluntary training opportunities in a variety of delivery formats. Mandatory
training topics will be coordinated through your department or division and
voluntary training opportunities are available year round. Training is
offered in a variety of formats including classroom, self teach and on-line
delivery. First Aid training is offered on a regular basis free of charge to
college employees. Contact the Environment Health and Safety office.

Who provides personal protective equipment and training?

The college has a responsibility to provide required personal protective
equipment to its staff in certain situations. The college also has the right to

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require specific types of personal protective equipment be supplied and

used by employees. Each employee who is required to use personal
protective equipment must be properly trained in its use, maintenance and
limitations. This training may be formal as in the case of respiratory
protective equipment or informal as in the case of protective footwear. The
requirement for personal protective equipment must be identified during the
hazard assessment process.

How can I become involved in health and safety?

All employees are expected to be actively involved in the health and safety
efforts of the college through participation in health and safety training,
application of health and safety concepts on the job and through hazard and
incident reporting. The college maintains an active Joint Health and Safety
Committee made up of employee representatives from all divisions as well
as students. The committee meets monthly and participates in inspections
of the campus and provides educational opportunities for faculty, staff and
students on a wide variety of occupational health
and safety issues. Participation is voluntary and
if you would like to become involved in the
Workplace
committee, contact the Environment Health and
Hazardous
Materials
Safety office for additional details.

How often is the health and safety

program reviewed?

Information
System

The program is reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Environment Health

and Safety Manager. On an annual basis the health and safety program
goes through a formal internal evaluation against provincially accepted
criteria. Every three years the college health and safety program is formally
audited by a certified external auditor to ensure that provincial program
requirements are being upheld.

What is WHMIS?
The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a
program developed to ensure that all workers are informed about chemicals
and other hazardous materials they may use, handle, store or dispose of at
the worksite. WHMIS compliance is the responsibility of all college
employees. Container labeling, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS),
workplace inventories and training are some of the major requirements of a
WHMIS program.

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What is a MSDS and where can I find one?

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document of detailed health and
safety information about a specific chemical. Each department using
controlled products maintains a manual containing MSDS of all controlled
products they use. MSDS can be obtained through the Health and Safety
office or by searching the MSDS database available on the OHS SharePoint
site under the Hazardous Materials Information link.

How do I get workplace labels for controlled products?

When chemicals are decanted from their original containers to another
container a WHMIS workplace label is required on the new container.
Labels can be requested from the Health and Safety office by sending an
email to rsloan@mhc.ab.ca or by phoning the Health and Safety office.

What security services are available on the Brooks

campus?
Security services are provided during open hours by maintenance staff and
the Brooks RCMP detachment after hours. In case of emergency call 911.

All incidents are preventable !

Identify hazards before you start work.
Assess the potential risk to yourself and
others.
Implement appropriate control
measures.

Staff Handbook updated Jan 2011, electronic copies

available through the EHS office by calling 403-502-8439.

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