What is a supervisor’s role in health and safety? Click on the following information sections to find out.

1. Duties of a supervisor
2. Supervisor health and safety training
3. OHSA penalties for not complying with OHSA regulations
4. When a worker can refuse to work and the role of the supervisor in that situation
5. Obligations of a joint health and safety committee

If you are looking for professional Supervisor Health and Safety or Joint Health and Safety Training, contact us.

Supervisor’s Role in Health and Safety

1. Duties of a supervisor

Learn all about a supervisor’s role in health and safety

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development encourages all workplaces to self-comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations by implementing an effective Internal Responsibility System (IRS). Having an IRS means that everyone; employers, supervisors, and workers; in your workplace has an important role to play in order to keep your workplace healthy and safe.

Main duties:

(1) Supervisors need to make sure that their workers are always working in a manner required by the OHSA. This includes using protective devices, measures, and procedures outlined in the Act.

(2) Supervisors also need to make sure their workers use and wear the equipment, protective devices, or clothing that they are required to be worn or used to keep them safe.

Additional duties:

Without limiting the primary duties listed above, supervisors are also responsible for doing the following:

(1) If the supervisor is aware of the existence of any potential or actual danger to a worker’s health or safety, they must make sure that they tell the worker about it.

(2) If it is prescribed, the supervisor needs to give written instructions to their workers that outlines the measures and procedures that need to be taken to protect the worker.

(3) A supervisor needs to take every reasonable precaution under the circumstances to protect their workers.

2. Supervisor health and safety training

A supervisor’s role in health and safety involves taking proper training

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, supervisors must complete a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program. This training needs to meet the requirements set out in subsection 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. You need to take your Supervisor Health and Safety training within one week of performing your work as a supervisor.

This type of safety training is extremely beneficial for the following individuals:

• Supervisors
• Foremen
• Lead hands
• New hires who are starting in supervisory positions

The purpose of Supervisor Health and Safety training is to help prepare you and make you more competent in your role as a supervisor with regard to worker safety. The goal is to better equip you to ensure every reasonable precaution has been taken to make sure that your workers are safe on the job.

3. OHSA penalties for not complying with OHSA regulations

Not complying with OHSA regulations could result in hefty fines

If you do not comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act or its regulations as set out in OHSA section 66, you can be subject to a number of penalties. Here is a list of the current maximum penalties:

• A fine of up to $1,500,000 for directors and officers of corporations and/or up to 12 months imprisonment
• A fine of up to $1,500,000 for a corporation
• A fine of up to $500,000 for all other persons and/or up to 12 months of imprisonment

A health and safety inspector has the authority to apply and enforce OHSA regulations based on the facts that they discover in your workplace.

4. When a worker can refuse to work and the role of the supervisor in that situation

A supervisor’s role in health and safety include investigating a refusal to work

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act a worker can refuse to work or do particular work under the following conditions:

• You believe that some equipment, machine, device, or thing that you are going to use or operate is likely to endanger yourself or a co-worker
• You believe that the physical condition in your workplace or in a section of your workplace that you are going to work in may endanger you
• You feel that workplace violence is going to endanger you
• You think that some equipment, machine, device or thing that you need to use or operate contravenes the OHSA or its regulations and that contravention could endanger you or another worker

If any of the above situations occur, you need to report the circumstances of your refusal right away to your employer or supervisor. The employer or supervisor must investigate the report with you present and if applicable, also the presence of one of the following:

• A committee member who represents workers, if there is one
• A health and safety representative, if there is one
• A worker who because of knowledge, experience and training is selected by a trade union that represents the worker, or if there is no trade union, is selected by the workers to represent them

The above individual needs to be made available and needs to attend without delay.

Source: R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 43 (4) 

While the investigation is taking place, you will need to stay in a safe place as close as possible to your workstation and be available to your supervisor or employer if they need you during the investigation.

5. Obligations of a joint health and safety committee

A joint health and safety committee is made up of both workers and representatives from employers

JHSC stands for Joint Health and Safety Committee. This committee is made up of both workers and representatives from employers. The members need to be mutually committed to making improvements to the health and safety conditions in their workplace. Together they identify potential health and safety issues in the workplace and bring those issues to the attention of the employer.

The main responsibilities of a joint health and safety committee include:

• Performing regular inspections of your workplace (at least once a month).
• Identifying potential and actual workplace hazards.
• Getting information from your employer that relates to health and safety in your workplace.
• Recommending health and safety improvements in your workplace.
• Being consulted about any health and safety-related testing in your workplace.
• Having a member representing workers present at the beginning of any health and safety-related testing in your workplace.

Both workers and employers have a responsibility for promoting health and safety in their workplace and as such a JHSC plays an important role in seeing this fulfilled.

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