Safety is Dish Served Warm

WIFM
(WHATS IN IT FOR ME)
Because reports sound Cold
Who pushing the baby

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 DO WE FIT TOGETHER?

HEALTH
AND
SAFETY
HUMAN
RESOURCES

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EVOLUTION AND CHANGE

All Management Systems

within a company must
follow the path of evolution
if they are to continue to
contribute to a company’s
growth and success.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 THE DRIVERS OF EVOLUTION
The drivers of the Evolution process include:
• technology,
• global markets,
• the current values of society, and
• the need for organizational efficiency
and/ or effectiveness.

EVOLUTION = CHANGE

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 CHANGE MANAGEMENT
• Strategic planning – what do you want to change?
• Set objectives, goals, targets
• Create commitment – champions and stakeholders
• Turn objectives/targets into measurable projects
• Evaluate (pilot the project first!)
• Implementation – have a plan that is consistent &
robust
• Communication and feedback from the customers or
users affected by the change.
• Program measurement and evaluation to support
continuous improvement.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 PERCEPTION

One of the most powerful factors

that can influence the creation or
destruction of a safety culture is
PERCEPTION

Perception can also drive Change

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?
• Roles and Responsibilities ( OHS Act & Regs)
• Employee rights (OHS Act)
• HEALTH
Training and Competency (OHS Regs/Code)
AND SFETY
• Job/Position Requirements that identify:
– Safety Sensitive (OHS Act)
– Potential risk levels (OHS Code Part 2)
– Increased risk from exposure (OHS Code Part 4, 14
and 20)

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?

• Emergency Preparedness and Response

(OHS Code Part 7) which includes,HEALTH
AND SFETY
– Workplace Violence ( OHS Code Part 27)
– Working Alone (OHS Code Part 28)

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Obligations of employees, workers, etc.
(OHS Act, Section 2)
Every employer shall ensure, as reasonably
HEALTH
practicable to do so: AND SFETY

a) The health and safety of workers engaged in work for

the employer
b) The health and safety of workers not engaged in the
work of the employer but present at a work site at
which work is being carried out.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Obligations of employees, workers, etc.
(OHS Act, Section 2)
Every worker shall while engaged in an occupation:
HEALTH
AND SFETY
a) Take reasonable care to protect the H&S of themselves
and other workers present while they are working;
b) Cooperate with the employer for the purposes of
protecting the H&S of themselves, other workers
engaged in work for the employer and other workers
present at the work site when work is being conducted.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
THE RIGHT TO REFUSE UNSAFE WORK
(Existence of imminent danger, OHS Act, Section 35)
Definition
• Danger that is not normal for that occupation, or HEALTH
AND SFETY
• Danger, under which a person engaged in that occupation would not
normally carry out the work.
Obligations
• Workers must not perform work that could create imminent danger;
• Employers must investigate & take action to eliminate imminent
danger;
• Disciplinary action may result in charges against the employer.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE
(Hazard Assessment, Elimination & Control,
OHS Code – Part 2)
HEALTH
Worker Participation AND SFETY
• If reasonably practicable, an employer must involve affected
workers in the hazard assessment and in the control or elimination
of the hazards identified.
• An employer must ensure that workers affected by the hazards
identified in a hazard assessment report are informed of the
hazards and the methods used to control or eliminate the hazards.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
THE RIGHT TO KNOW
(WHMIS, OHS Code Part 29)
• Applies to workers who work with or near a controlled product or
who perform work involving the manufacture of a HEALTH
controlled
product. AND SFETY
• Training in how to create and read labels, find and interpret
Material Safety Data Sheet information and apply procedures for
storage, use, and handling a controlled product must be provided by
the employer.
• May also apply to office staff!
• Must be specific to the products used by the employer!

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

Workplace Safety Law
Rights & Responsibilities

How am I protected at work?

Worker Rights and Responsibilities
 Workers: Key Safety Responsibilities!

Responsible to report
unsafe acts and conditions

Responsible to follow safe-work

rules in your workplace

Responsible to use equipment

properly

Responsible to work safely and

not endanger others
 Hmmmmm…
• How are ‘Rights’ and ‘Responsibilities’ different?

• What’s harder: understanding or exercising safety rights

and responsibilities? Why?

• What sorts of things stop us from exercising our safety

rights?

• What sorts of things stop us from meeting our safety

responsibilities?

• What could be done to improve these things?

 Employers: Key Responsibilities
• Ensure the health and safety of persons at or near the workplace

• Inform workers of hazards in the workplace

• Follow safety law, and make sure that workers do so as well!

• Make sure workers have proper equipment and correct safety gear
to work safely; and maintain equipment safely and appropriately

• Put a safety policy and program in place. Make sure it includes

safe work procedures, worker orientation and training programs,
and hazard reporting and investigation process.

• Have a health and safety committee or safety representative.

Make sure they have training to fulfill this role.
 Hmmmmm…
• It’s ten years from now and you’re running your own
business! What could it be? Discuss:

- What are some of the hazards your workers will need to

know about?
- What types of training will they need to do their jobs
safely?
- What type of training will you and your supervisors need to
run the business safely?
- In what ways can workers and employers come together
for workplace safety?
- If something bad happens at one of your job sites, how
could it impact your business?
 How are we doing? 
Does Nova Scotia have health and safety law?
Yes. The OHS Act and OHS officers work to keep us safe at work!

Do you have a legal responsibility to help keep co-workers safe?

Yes. Workplace safety is also about your behaviour toward others!

Do you have the right to know about the hazards that could affect you at work?

Yes. All jobs have risks! Your employer has to tell you how to protect yourself.

Do you have the legal right to refuse to do work that you feel will endanger you?
Yes. If you’re not given information to do a hazardous task safely, don’t do it.

Could you be fired for not following your workplace’s safety rules?
Yes. Take your employer’s safety rules seriously and follow them!

Is your boss responsible to make sure you have safe-work training?

Yes! By law! Training can give you the power to safely meet workplace risks!
 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
THE RIGHT TO KNOW
(Chemical Hazards, Biological Hazards & Harmful Substances,
OHS Code
• The employer must ensure that a worker who may be HEALTH
exposed to a
AND
harmful substance at a work site is informed of the SFETY
health hazards
and assessments/measurements taken of the harmful substance.
• Training in procedures developed to minimize the worker’s exposure
must be provided; verification of understanding is required.
• Health assessments and health records must be managed to meet
privacy laws (FOIP/PIPA) but information on potential hazards and
exposure must be communicated to affected workers.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 TRAINING AND COMPETENCY
Competent in relation to a worker, means adequately
qualified, suitably trained and with sufficient experience to
safely perform work without supervision or with only a
HEALTH
minimal degree of supervision. (OHS Regulations,
AND SFETY
Definitions)
Duties of workers (OHS Regs, Section 14)
A worker who is not competent to perform work that may
endanger the worker or others must not perform the work
except under the direct supervision of a worker who is
competent to perform the work.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 TRAINING AND COMPETENCY
Safety Training (OHS Regs, Section 15)
An employer must ensure that a worker is trained in the
safe operation of the equipment the worker is required to
HEALTH
operate. AND SFETY
• Minimum training considerations/requirements detailed.
• Affirms that workers must participate.
• Multiple sections of the OHS Code specify training
requirements for equipment, activities or hazardous
situations.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 JOB / POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Safety Sensitive Positions
Evolved from the OHS obligation of the employer to ensure the
health and safety of workers at an employer worksite and the
Human Rights obligation not to discriminate against protected
HEALTH
groups. AND SFETY
• Bona fide requirements for each position must be documented
and communicated.
• Testing that is linked to these requirements is accepted.
• Discrimination challenges occur when personal assessments
(biometrics data for personal identification) /function fit tests)
and testing (drug/alcohol)occurs without clear justification,
rationalization and communication.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 JOB / POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Risk level of each position
(OHS Code, Part 2 – Hazard Assessment, Elimination and Control.)
• An employer must assess a work site and identify existing and
potential hazards before work begins at the workHEALTH
site . . .
AND SFETY
• Hazard assessments are to be completed when a new work
process is introduced, when work processes or operations
change, before construction or alterations/additions to a work
site and as needed to prevent the development of unsafe and
unhealthy working conditions.
• Conduct a periodic Task or Job Hazard Assessment; methods are
referenced in the OHS Code interpretation guide or Partnerships/
COR program.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 JOB / POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Workers with increased risk due to exposure
(OHS Code, Part 4 – Chemical Hazards, Biological Hazards and
Harmful Substance, Part 14 – Lifting and Handling Loads, Part 20
- Radiation.) HEALTH
• Reproductive and mutagenic hazards for male and ANDfemale
SFETY
workers must be clearly identified and managed in cooperation
with these workers.
• Actions taken to isolate, remove, demote or alter a worker’s
duties who are exposed to these hazards may result in
discrimination charges. (i.e. preventing or removing a women of
reproductive age, or a woman who becomes pregnant, from a
high risk position, without worker agreement, is discriminatory).
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 JOB / POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Workers with increased risk due to exposure
• Physical demands and repetitive strain (musculoskeletal) hazards
for male and female workers must be clearly identified and
managed in cooperation with these workers. HEALTH
• Actions taken to isolate, remove, demote or alterAND SFETY
a worker’s
duties who are exposed to these hazards may result in
discrimination charges. (i.e. a worker is denied a position based
upon perceived physical ability or previous medical history; bona
fide physical requirements have not been defined.)
• Return to work programs must be managed under the “duty to
accommodate “ mandate.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Emergency response plan
(OHS Code, Part 7 – Emergency Preparedness & Response)
1) An employer must establish an emergency response plan
HEALTHrescue
for responding to an emergency that may require
or evacuation. AND SFETY
2) An employer must consult with affected workers in
establishing the emergency response plan.
3) An employer must ensure that an emergency response
plan is current.
WHAT EMERGENCIES CAN THE HR GROUP FACE?

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Workplace Violence (OHS Code, Part 27 – Violence)
• Conduct a hazard assessment (potential violence
situations and security risks). Resources: CCOHS –
Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide. HEALTH
• Develop a policy and response procedures.AND SFETY
• Train your workers on:
– How to recognize workplace violence;
– What has been implemented to minimize or eliminate
workplace violence, including how to respond to workplace
violence and how to obtain assistance;
– How to report, investigate and document an incident.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Working Alone (OHS Code, Part 28 – Working Alone)
• Identify working alone situations and positions exposed
to this hazard. Resource: Working Alone Safely – Alberta
Workplace Health and Safety. HEALTH
• Identify and implement an effective method ANDofSFETY
communication (radio, telephone, other electronic
methods) between the lone worker and persons who
can respond to an emergency or medical situation
(worker injury or illness).
• Direct contact at regular intervals may be required if
effective communication methods are not available.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PERCEPTION: A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD
How people perceive something will dictate
how they respond to it.

Positive Perceptions = Positive Responses

Negative Perceptions = Negative Responses

Where do we start looking for the “real”

perceptions of the people?

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 COMPLIANCE VS. CULTURE
• Lack of management time commitments to H&S
activities. (Support & Resources)
• No active or visible support (management tours,
participation, walk the talk, etc.).
• Employee apathy towards health and safety
initiatives.
• Document gaps (missing or vague information
on records); records only completed to meet
minimum standards.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 COMPLIANCE VS. CULTURE
• Auto pilot approach to H&S responsibilities.
• The Committee has difficulty in attracting
champions and effective members.
(Sustainability)
• Negative enforcement is common to meet
compliance requirements; positive recognition
is non existent. (Emotional Intelligence)
• SILENCE (which is not golden in Health and
Safety ! ).

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 FROM COMPLIANCE TO CULTURE
THE STICK OR THE CARROT
Compliance
through Resources for
Reactive Sustainability
Fear

Policeman attitude Buy in by the champions

Negative feedback & Treat Others as you want to

recognition be treated (El)

“Fire- Fighting” What’s in it for me? (WIFM)

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

CREATING SUSTAINABLE CULTURE
PEOPLE INITIATIVES PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Communication C/A Management

Focus Training & Competency

Measurement System Integration

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 PEOPLE INITIATIVES:
COMMUNICATION
Strategic Planning
• what is our focus,
• what do we want to achieve and,
• how will we know when we get there?
Implement at all levels of the organization and
involve key stakeholders.
Communication Standards
• Identify who communicates what and when

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PEOPLE INITIATIVES: COMMUNICATION
Communication Tools
•Perception Surveys – what do the people truly
believe?
• Identify how people can communicate & receive
feedback (meetings, committees, electronic tools).
These must be easy to access and effective or they will
be abandoned.
•Information with substance – how does this affect or
apply to me?
•Promote goals that have meaning to the people they
affect; develop buy-in before implementation.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 PEOPLE INITIATIVES: FOCUS
Shift the focus from strictly “Health and Safety”
to a broader Wellness focus, and introduce
social topics to communication exercises.
• Personal home safety and security
• Health and Safety while traveling / vacations
• Recreational Health and Safety
• Financial education or social well being issues

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 PEOPLE INITIATIVES: MEASURE
Shift emphasis to measure progress towards
proactive goals, rather than negative events.
• Involve all levels of the organization in setting
goals and targets to meet the strategic plan.
• Link measurement information to the
performance management system (all levels).
• Provide constructive and timely feedback;
• Focus on improvement activities and meeting
cultural standards.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 PEOPLE INITIATIVES: MEASURE
• Collect relevant data;
• Measure how quickly problems are
corrected and evaluated, as well as how
often they occur.
• Make the measurements more meaningful
to the actual work site, not just a “Vague
Statistical” number.
• Measure efforts to improve, not failures to
succeed.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: C/A MGMNT
How well a Corrective Action is managed is as
important as the corrective action itself.
• Standardize and centralize the corrective action
management process.
• Assign responsibility, implementation dates and
accountability by management to follow up.
• Verify that actions have been addressed and
CLOSED!

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: C/A MGMNT

Use Corrective Action (C/A) Management

to move past a basic reaction stage to
incidents or losses.

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
LEAD TO
PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: TRAINING
TRAINING is not just teaching how to do a task, but also
is a tool to set standards and mold attitudes.
• Add real structure and validation to on the job
training. TELL – SHOW – TEST.
• Move away from reactive training.
• Use Adult learning techniques; teach to establish
understanding and comprehension. Foster a sense of
“I am performing a key task” on the part of the
trainee.
• Develop and introduce career training plans to
develop a sense of importance.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: INTEGRATE
The integration of the Health and Safety and
Human Resource disciplines can:
• Can allow for the blending of resources and efforts
towards a common goal.
• Blend technical and people expertise vital to meeting
compliance and conformance requirements.
• Validate people strategies owned by Human
Resources.
• Advance H&S initiatives that may not be on the
executive priority list.
P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada
 MOVING FORWARD
ACCEPT the reality of your resources & limitations.
PLAN what you want to do and do it.
COMMUNICATE on all levels.
MEASURE the results of what you do.
Resist the document trap! An effective and
successful H&S program is not based upon the
quantity of documents & records kept.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

 MOVING FORWARD

CELEBRATE small successes as this can instill

confidence, demonstrate commitment
and foster a “We can do this” belief in the
culture.
Avoid trying to do it all at once.
small successes celebrated in a big way
can pave the path to large achievements.

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada

ARE WE GOING THE SAME DIRECTION?

HEALTH
AND SFETY
Questions

P bar Y Safety Consultants Alberta Canada