Employer and Employee Contact Information PDF

# Topic 1 - Employer Contact Information For new employees, employer contact information is essential, particularly for employees who work in large, multi-divisional facilities, field staff, employees who work alone and employees who are regularly exposed to high-risk workplace hazards. Examples of...

# Topic 1 - Employer Contact Information For new employees, employer contact information is essential, particularly for employees who work in large, multi-divisional facilities, field staff, employees who work alone and employees who are regularly exposed to high-risk workplace hazards. Examples of high-risk workplaces may include: - Agriculture, forestry, logging, aquaculture and fish processing. - Construction. - Emergency response, including firefighters and police. - Health care settings, including residential care and nursing home facilities. - Manufacturing, including refining and sawmill operations. - Mining, including emergency mining response teams. - Service sector occupations exposed to criminal and violent behaviours. - Sectors that handle, maintain, distribute and collect cash in a fixed location. - Retail and hospitality. Employers are obligated to provide employees with all the necessary contact information so they can easily and readily access it in case of an emergency. In addition to providing the employees with names of company managers, department heads, supervisors and forepersons, additional information or numbers needed may include: - Direct line phone numbers, cellphone numbers, pager numbers, and email addresses of employee's supervisor, manager, department head(s) and administrative staff. - Company contact phone numbers including security, reception, emergency after-hours, toll-free and other applicable departments. - TTY, if applicable. - Company address, including postal code, civic and route numbers. - Company fax number(s). - Roadside assistance (field staff). - Emergency contact information such as fire, hazard response, hospital, police, ambulance and poison control. # Topic 2 - Contact Information for Your JHSC or H&S Representative ## What is a Joint Health and Safety Committee? It is the employer's responsibility under the OHS Act [subsection 14(1)] to form a JHSC for any company with 20 or more employees regularly employed at a place of employment. This does not apply to project sites. The JHSC is an advisory committee committed to strengthening the health and safety culture in a workplace to prevent and reduce injuries and occupational disease. Through regular monthly meetings, the JHSC helps employers promote health and safety by providing guidance and recommendations on health and safety issues that arise in the workplace. JHSC members audit the company's Internal Responsibility System by analyzing the health and safety information they receive from management and the information they collect through their mandate to determine the effectiveness of the health and safety systems. JHSC members are required to complete a JHSC and Health and Safety Representative Educational Program as outlined in the OHS Act [subsections 14.1(2), 14.5(2) or 14.5(3)]. ## What is a Health and Safety Representative? Workplaces with between five and 19 employees that are not required to have a JHSC may have a health and safety representative. Like JHSC members, the representative is committed to improving health and safety conditions in the workplace. The health and safety representative is selected by workers at the workplace [subsection 17(3), OHS Act] and may do health and safety activities as would a JHSC member. The health and safety representative must regularly consult with the employer [subsection 18(2), OHS Act] and the employer must post the name of the representative in a prominent place at the workplace. For project sites, the health and safety representative must attend the JHSC and Health and Safety Representative Educational Program. ## What do new employees need to know about a JHSC? A company should provide new employees with basic information about the company's JHSC and how members can be contacted. This information can include: - JHSC's purpose both legislative and internal standards based on the JHSC's terms of reference. - How the JHSC promotes and supports the company's health and safety management system. - Names of committee members and the departments where they work. - Co-chairs and the departments where they work. - Contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses, shift schedules. - How often, location and approximate time the JHSC meets. - JHSC's mandate, goals and objectives. - How to bring agenda items or issues and concerns forward to the JHSC. - The JHSC's role and their contact information in the event of a work refusal, and any documentation required. - How a new employee can become a JHSC member - Training required for JHSC members and health and safety representatives JHSC and Health and Safety Representative Educational Program, Regulation 2007-33. - Any other contact information deemed necessary, based on your company's profile and schedules. New employees should personally meet with committee members to put a face to a name and to ask questions directly to members about the JHSC's role and responsibilities as health and safety representatives. New employees should meet with the JHSC members as soon as possible after starting with the company or re-entering the workforce. (See Appendix M, page 70) # Topic 3 - Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities ## Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the OHS Act To establish a management system for the Internal Responsibility System for workplace health and safety, the workplace must first define who is responsible for developing, implementing and enforcing the legislated and internal standards. To help workplaces understand the legal obligations of employees and employers, the OHS Act outlines the following: ### Employee is defined as: - a person employed at a place of employment, or - a person at a place of employment for any purpose in connection to the place of employment. ### Employer is defined as: - a person who employs one or more employees, - a manager, superintendent, supervisor, overseer, or any person having authority over another, or - an agent of any person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b). A common misconception among employees is the belief that the employer is solely responsible for workplace health and safety. While the concept of due diligence places the onus on the employer to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of employees, employees also play a key role in workplace health and safety. It is the responsibility of employees to ensure they understand, follow and comply with workplace legislation and the company's internal policies and procedures. ## Employee Responsibilities All New Brunswick employees have legal responsibilities defined under the OHS Act: 1. **Comply with the OHS Act and its Regulations:** Employees must familiarize themselves with the workplace legislation and if they do not understand the legal standards, they must ask supervisors or management for clarity or an interpretation of the requirements. Employees should also request training for any portion of the legal standard for which they have little or no knowledge or training. 2. **Ensure Safe Conduct:** Employees must not participate in horseplay or take shortcuts when performing their jobs (not taking time to do a pre-use inspection on machinery, for example). Employees are responsible for knowing, understanding and complying with the workplace requirements for the company's day-to-day operations and asking for assistance when they are unclear about a workplace process to complete a job task safely. 3. **Reporting Hazards:** If an employee encounters an unsafe or harmful condition or situation or if they are unclear if a task is safe, the employee is responsible to report this immediately to their supervisor. This process should be documented and the employee should not attempt to guess how to complete any task until the hazardous condition is corrected. 4. **Wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE):** While it is an employer's responsibility to provide employees with PPE, it is the employee's responsibility to wear, use and inspect the PPE daily. If PPE is not provided or sub-standard, employees must notify their supervisor immediately. 5. **Co-operate with the JHSC and WorkSafeNB's health and safety officers:** While the legal standard allows for a company to operate without third party intervention the Internal Responsibility System, there may be times when a recommendation from an outside enforcement agency WorkSafeNB or a company's JHSC is warranted. If this happens, it is the employee's responsibility to co-operate with WorkSafeNB's recommendation for the purpose of protecting themselves and the entire workforce. ## Employee Rights in New Brunswick Workplaces Under New Brunswick legislation, all employees are entitled to three fundamental rights: 1. **The Right to Know:** All employees have the right to receive the training needed to do their job safely and must be informed of: - Workplace hazards identified through orientation, day-to-day operations, entire facility inspections, daily pre-use inspections of tools, equipment and machinery, reporting mechanisms for sub-standard working conditions, communication standards for people working alone and the process for correcting substandard conditions. - Safe work policies, procedures and codes of practice, as outlined by both the legislation and the internal company standards. - Emergency procedures, emergency evacuation, first aid legislation and first aid procedures, accident reporting and investigation procedures. If at any time employees are unsure about tasks they must complete or are concerned about their safety, they must communicate this to their supervisors. 2. **The right to participate in health and safety initiatives:** All employees have the right to participate in resolving health and safety concerns and in identifying and controlling workplace hazards. An effective mechanism to address health and safety concerns is through a company's JHSC. In fixed workplaces with 20 or more employees, JHSCs are formed to help address the workplace's health and safety concerns and to brainstorm possible resolutions. 3. **The right to refuse dangerous work:** All employees have the right to refuse work they believe may be dangerous to their health or safety, or to that of others. Employees who are not issued nor have proper and adequate personal protective equipment, on-the-job-training, clear understanding of their job procedures or are placed in a hazardous workplace situation working alone without a communication procedure, for example can exercise their legal right to refuse the task at hand. The process outlined in the OHS Act sections 19-23 for the right to refuse is: - **Step 1:** The employee must immediately report the condition or situation of concern to their supervisor. - **Step 2:** If after reporting the concern to their supervisor and it is not addressed and resolved, the employee is to report the concern to the company's JHSC. If it is resolved, the employee must return to work. - **Step 3:** If after the employee reports a concern to both their supervisor and the JHSC and it is not resolved, the employee must contact WorkSafeNB and explain the situation. The employee must remain at the workplace, however, until their shift has ended and they may only return to the task in question when the situation is no longer dangerous. At all times during a work refusal process, employees are strongly encouraged to document their concerns regarding the dangerous situation or condition, persons they have spoken to, and the outcome of any conversations. A template of this document can be found in the appendix. ## Employer Responsibilities In New Brunswick, employers are responsible for managing workplace safety in their company. The OHS Act outlines clearly defined responsibilities for employers to address health and safety practices in the workplace as part of their due diligence: 1. **Take every reasonable precaution to ensure health and safety:** Because employers have the ultimate control of workplaces, they also have the duty to ensure the workplace remains a safe place for all employees, contractors, sub-contractors and clients who are working within and for the company. It is the employer's responsibility, therefore, to develop, implement, enforce and review the proper safety procedures and policies with everyone working in or at that company. This orientation and training process must be documented. 2. **Comply with all workplace legislation:** Employers are responsible to read, understand, comply with and provide to the workforce all applicable workplace legislation. Updated copies of workplace legislation must be accessible at all times to the workforce and reviewed with them so employers can ensure the employees understand the responsibilities of both parties. 3. **Ensure employees comply:** While it is the employer's duty to develop a health and safety management system, the system will only be as good as the mandatory enforcement of the required practices. Employers must set the example of compliance by following all policies and procedures. They, too, must ensure employees comply. 4. **Maintain equipment in good condition:** Employers are responsible to ensure all materials, equipment, tools, PPE, machines and procedures meet both manufacturer and legal standards. Through spot checks, requiring employees to do pre-use inspections and regular documented formal inspections, employers can identify and correct any sub-standard conditions. 5. **Advise employees of hazards:** Employers have a legal duty to inform the workplace of any hazards that may result in a near-miss or injury. Employers must develop a hazard identification system where hazards can be identified, corrected and communicated. The workplace must have the necessary policies and procedures in place to ensure employees are not put at risk. 6. **Provide training and supervision:** As stated previously, a good health and safety system can only be as good as the mandatory practice of following the system. Employees need to be trained through job orientation and regular training sessions on all procedures necessary for them to complete their daily tasks. In addition to regular training, supervision must be present or readily accessible at all times, particularly when dangerous work is being carried out or when new employees are on the job. 7. **Provide personal protective equipment (PPE):** The employer is responsible to either provide or make accessible to all employees the proper PPE as required by the legislation. Some PPE may need to meet certain external standards such as CSA or ANSI approval. Employees should check PPE for these standards as outlined in the legislation as well as the condition of the PPE not ripped, frayed, torn or sub-standard. Employers, once notified of sub-standard PPE, must remove or fix PPE to ensure it is safe. 8. **Establish a JHSC:** Depending on the number of employees at the workplace or the type of work construction or project sites carried out, the employer may have a duty to ensure a JHSC is established and: meets monthly; consists of equal representation; members complete the legislated education program; produce and post meeting minutes; and, forwards a copy of the JHSC minutes to WorkSafeNB. 9. **Develop a process and conduct workplace inspections:** Employers have a duty to develop, in conjunction with the JHSC, an inspection process that will cover the entire workplace. Training should be provided to the designated inspectors and any substandard conditions that are identified during the inspection must be documented and followed closely by a process to ensure that corrective action for the substandard conditions is carried through. 10. **Report accidents to WorkSafeNB:** Employers are responsible to report workplace accidents to WorkSafeNB. The first step is to establish a workplace procedure informing workers of their requirement to notify you of any accident before leaving the place of employment. Employers must IMMEDIATELY CALL 1 800 999-9775 TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING INCIDENTS: - Any accidental explosion or exposure to a biological, chemical, or physical agent, whether or not a person is injured. - Any catastrophic event or equipment failure that results, or could have resulted in an injury. - Worker admission to a hospital facility as an in-patient. - A loss of consciousness - Burns requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment. - Fractures other than to fingers or toes. - Loss of vision in one or both eyes. - Deep lacerations requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment. - Amputations. - Fatalities. If the employer must report an accident to WorkSafeNB, the employer must secure the site to prevent further injury and preserve the scene of the accident so WorkSafeNB health and safety officers may start their accident investigation. 11. **Advise JHSC of accidents:** Outlined under subsection 43(2) of the OHS Act, where WorkSafeNB has been notified about a workplace accident, the JHSC or health and safety representative must also be notified. 12. **Establish a health and safety program:** For workplaces with 20 or more employees regularly employed in New Brunswick, the employer must establish a health and safety program that includes the components specified in subsection 8.1(1) of the OHS Act. In addition to the employer's legislative requirements under the OHS Act, there are numerous references to employer duties outlined under other workplace regulations: - Regulation 84-26 Administration Regulation - Regulation 88-221 Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System - Regulation 91-191 General Regulation - Regulation 92-106 Code of Practice for Working with Material Containing Asbestos - Regulation 92-133 Code of Practice for Working Alone - Regulation 96-105 Underground Mine - Regulation 2004-130 First Aid - Regulation 2007-33 Training and Designated Trades Regulation For both employees and employers, report all unsafe and unhealthy conditions, work processes and hazards for immediate attention and correction. Don't wait for injuries to occur to take action. # Topic 3 - Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities ## The Workers' Compensation (WC) Act The WC Act of New Brunswick is founded on the Meredith Principles where in 1913, William Meredith proposed a compensation system of guaranteed protection for workers. Under this proposal, Meredith outlined principles where all employers would collectively share the responsibility for benefits for injured workers, and could not collect compensation contributions from workers. ## No-Fault Compensation The first WC Act was proclaimed in Ontario in 1915 and made all workers eligible to receive benefits for work-related injuries or occupational disease, regardless of who is at fault. In addition to the fact that fault was irrelevant, the worker and the employer waived the right to sue. In New Brunswick, workers' compensation is administered through a no-fault insurance system. ## Definition of "employer" under the WC Act - Every person having in their service under contract of hire or apprenticeship, written or oral, expressed or implied, any worker engaged in any work in or about an industry. - A municipal corporation, commission, committee, body or other local authority established or exercising any powers or authority with respect to the affairs or purposes, includes school purposes of a municipality. - A person who authorizes or permits a learner to be in or about an industry for the purposes mentioned in the definition "learner". - A deemed employer. - The Crown in right of the Province of New Brunswick, and of Canada, and any permanent board, commission, or corporation established by the Crown in right of the Province of New Brunswick, or of Canada, in so far as they, or either of them, in their capacity as employers, submit to the operation of this Act. ## Role and responsibilities of employers under the WC Act Employers must: - Register with WorkSafeNB (three or more workers, full or part-time). - Pay assessment premiums. - Establish a procedure informing workers of their requirement to notify their employer of any accidents that must be reported to WorkSafeNB. - Complete and submit a Form 67, Report of Accident or Occupational Disease, Report of Accident or Occupational Disease when a worker has sought medical attention and/or missed time from work due to an injury or is unable to perform the regular work duties beyond the date of accident. - Help injured workers return to work by offering modified or alternative employment. ## Definition of a "worker" under the WC Act The WC Act states that a "worker" means a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service or apprenticeship, written or oral, expressed or implied, whether by way of manual labour or otherwise, and includes: - A learner. - An emergency services worker within the meaning of any agreement made under the Emergency Measures Act between the Government of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick in which provision is made for compensation with respect to the injury or death of such workers. - A member of a municipal volunteer fire brigade. - A person employed in a management capacity by the employer, including an executive officer of a corporation, where that executive officer is carried on the payroll. ## Roles and Responsibilities of Workers Under the WC Act In the event of an accident, injury or occupational disease at work, workers must immediately: - Report the accident according to the procedure established by the employer before voluntarily leaving work, even if the worker does not require medical attention. - Get medical treatment, as required. - Jointly file a claim for benefits using a Form 67 - Report of Accident or Occupational Disease with the employer, if required. - If workers seek medical attention for a work-related injury and the physician does not ask if it is work-related, workers must indicate it is a work-related injury so the physician can forward medical reports to WorkSafeNB immediately. ## Definition of an "accident" under the WC Act Under the WC Act, an accident must arise out of and in the course of employment, and include one of the following: - A willful and intentional act, not being the act of the worker who suffers the accident. - A chance event or incident occasioned by a physical or natural cause. - A disablement caused by an occupational disease. - A disablement or disabling condition caused by employment. An occupational disease is a disease peculiar to or characteristic of an industrial process, trade, or occupation, or a disease that arises out of and in the course of employment. An accident does not include the disablement of mental stress or caused by mental stress, unless it resulted from an acute reaction to a traumatic event. Where the employer is insured under the WC Act, a Form 67 must be sent to WorkSafeNB within three days of receiving notification of a work-related injury that resulted in: - Medical costs. - Wage loss. - Injured worker is unable to perform the regular work duties beyond the date of accident. A Form 67 does not have to be filed for accidents when no medical costs or wage losses are incurred, or when the injured worker is able to continue regular job duties. Even though notification of the event to WorkSafeNB may not be required, employers must record the accident and obtain the following information in case the event becomes a reportable incident: - The nature of the accident, and how it happened. - When it happened (date and time). - Why it happened. - The worker's name and address. - Where it happened. - The date the file was recorded (to be kept for five years). If the employer is not, at the time of the accident, submitting a Form 67 to WorkSafeNB, it is extremely important to collect and maintain records of any workplace injury for future reference. ## Other information related to the accident employers should collect: When completing the Form 67, employers must obtain information about the events leading up to the injury by asking the injured worker if there were any witnesses to the accident and the specific activities in which the worker was engaged at the time of the injury. Employers should also speak with the injured worker's co-workers and any witnesses. ## What if a worker and an employer disagree about information related to an accident? A complete report of the accident, using a Form 67, must be made even if there is disagreement between an employer and an employee. Situations may arise where there is doubt about whether an employee sustained a work-related injury, or whether the employee's symptoms relate to a pre-existing condition, and not to activities at work. In other words, did work cause the injury? The employer has the right to appeal a worker's claim, however, a Form 67 must still be completed and submitted to WorkSafeNB. A Form 67 provides for the indication of disagreement by the employer. The employer may provide information on the nature of the disagreement with the information on the form. ## Can employers and workers agree not to report the accident? No. Both employers and workers are required by law to report to WorkSafeNB all work-related injuries meeting the criteria. "No employer shall dismiss, suspend, lay off, penalize, discipline or discriminate against a worker because the worker suffered a personal injury by accident in respect of which the worker is, in the opinion of WorkSafeNB, entitled to make application for compensation." # Topic 4 - Health and safety procedures and Codes of Practice Related to the employee's Assigned Job Tasks ## What does this mean? Employers must have safe operating procedures or codes of practice for all company positions that will ensure employees are provided with adequate instructions and guidelines on how to work safely. ## How do I Start? As a starting point, employers must ask: - Do I have safe work procedures or codes of practice? - Do the procedures and codes of practice adequately address all the hazards associated with the employees' job tasks? - Have employees been instructed on these procedures and codes of practice? - Has management, including supervisors, asked for employees to demonstrate how to safely complete job tasks according to the company's procedures and codes of practice? - Are the procedures and codes of practice documented? - Am I satisfied that employees have adequate training and have I documented that training? ## What is a procedure? A procedure is a specific, step-by-step course of action that outlines how employees can safely complete tasks and jobs. Procedures are guidelines and provide details to employees on how best to protect themselves while working in hazardous conditions or situations. The requirement for a company to develop and manage procedures may be a legislative standard or a company's best practice. An example of a step-by-step procedure for injury and incident reporting can be found in Appendix I. (See page 63) ## What is a code of practice? A code of practice is a documented set of rules that outlines to employees how, when working in hazardous situations or environments, to safely conduct themselves so that all workers are protected. It is a detailed procedure for specified circumstances that must be posted in the workplace. ## What should be contained in a code of practice? There are seven elements that should be contained in a code of practice: 1. An introduction identifying: - The hazardous substances and situations that may be encountered. - A description of the hazards. - The possible effects on health or safety. 2. Identification of the person or persons at risk from the hazardous substances and situations. 3. Identification of the person or persons responsible for implementing the code of practice. 4. The time, day, event, etc. before, during, or after which the code of practice might be applicable. 5. The location or locations where the code of practice might apply (for example, all ceilings throughout the building or the tank of the delivery truck in the yard). 6. The methods and equipment to be used to ensure the health and safety of any employee at risk. 7. Emergency procedures and equipment that might be required in case any of the regular procedures or equipment fails. ## Rule of Thumb All procedures and codes of practice must be current, dated, signed by management and visible in the workplace. ## How to proceed Because every job and tasks associated with a specific job are different, a generic template for procedures is not a practical document. All jobs, regardless of title, should outline both specific and generic duties that are expected of workers. Because of this, individual companies must develop procedures internally. However, that is not to say companies cannot review procedures from other sources to help develop workplace procedures. ## Proposed resources for developing procedures 1. **Refer to New Brunswick's OHS Act and Regulations for information on health and safety legislation that applies to all N.B. workplaces:** This legislation requires employers to develop minimum standards for certain types of work. For example, written lockout procedures must be developed and followed when employees are required to clean, maintain, adjust or repair machinery. Review the Act and Regulations in detail to ensure you are covering all of the required topics with your employees. 2. **Consult with associations and representative groups that establish standards for your company or industry:** In New Brunswick, there are industry-specific associations that provide training and education on industry-related hazards, such as the New Brunswick Forest Safety Association and the New Brunswick Construction Safety Association. 3. **Consult with industry experts:** You are not alone. Industry experts across Canada focus on industry standards, best practices, general information and safety information. Check various websites related to your industry to find out current issues of concern and updated safety information. 4. **Refer to manufacturers' standards:** Specific design and operational standards are set by manufacturers to determine quality and provide safety-related information. Before purchasing or operating equipment, refer to the legislation to determine if your company is required to use specific tools, equipment or personal protective equipment for the type of work assigned to your employees. 5. **Ask for input from employees, supervisors, JHSC members or safety representatives:** Some of the most valuable information on company procedures come from within. Rely on the expert opinion and experience of the company's workers to inform you of the status of current procedures; what works well, changes that are needed, and processes that need to be developed. 6. **Consult with WorkSafeNB:** WorkSafeNB prevention staff consult with employers on safety legislation and offer a variety of safety-related services to help employers develop health and safety practices to prevent workplace injuries and illness. For information on these services, consult your regional WorkSafeNB office. 7. **Websites:** The Internet provides employers with numerous health and safety resources. Search through various websites to locate information relevant to your workplace. **Some suggested sites:** - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: www.ccohs.ca - WorkSafeNB: www.worksafenb.ca - WorkSafeBC: www.worksafebc.ca ## Things to keep in mind when developing procedures and codes of practice: - Keep the details of your documents simple and include step-by-step instructions. - The documents should clearly state how employees are expected to safely complete tasks. - Avoid using technical terms and acronyms that may not be easily understood. - Never assume your employees will always know what to do or who to ask for assistance. - Provide your employees with written procedures and codes of practice, and make these available at all times. - Ensure supervisors have trained employees in the company's procedures and codes of practices. - Ensure supervisors document the training. - The best procedures and codes of practice are straightforward, step-by-step, and easy to read handbooks that should be considered from the employees' perspective. The task of developing procedures and codes of practice may seem overwhelming; however, it is a simple process of identifying the necessary steps for employees to do their job safely. Areas of special concern may include: - The positions or jobs in your company considered high-risk (where the most serious injuries are likely to occur). - The positions or jobs in your company that have a higher than normal rate of injuries or incidents. A common code of practice that is required in workplaces is for employees who work alone. The New Brunswick Code of Practice for Working Alone (92-133) under the OHS Act requires employers to establish a company code of practice for all employees who work alone. While the regulation does not specify a definition for the term "working alone", it directs the employer to: "Establish a code of practice to ensure, as so far as reasonably practical, the health and safety of an employee who works alone at any time at a place of employment from risks arising out of, or in connection with, the work assigned." Employers may consider, therefore, developing standards for not only employees who work by themselves, but also lone workers who are or may be: - Out of direct contact with other employees or supervisors. - Working for a period of time or in a circumstance where assistance is not readily available to the employee in the event of injury, illness or emergency. ## Employer Responsibilities For businesses that require employees to work alone or in situations where employees may not be in direct contact with other employees, the employer must establish and communicate a working alone policy and procedures that will outline roles and responsibilities for supervisors and employees. (See Appendix D, page 51) ## Working alone - procedure ### Supervisor role and responsibilities Supervisors are responsible to conduct a risk assessment to: - Identify existing or potential safety hazards associated with working alone. (See page 61) - Implement safety measures to reduce the risk to workers from the identified hazards. - Develop and implement an effective means of communication between the worker and persons capable of responding to the worker's needs in case of an emergency or the worker is injured or ill. - Regularly contact the worker at intervals appropriate to the nature of the hazard. ### Working alone Individuals who are working by themselves or lone workers who are: - Out of direct contact with other employees or supervisors. - Working for a period of time or in a circumstance where assistance is not readily available to the employee in the event of injury, illness or emergency situation. ## Procedure 1. Any individual who is assigned to work alone or in isolation must complete (document) with their supervisor the risk assessment chart before doing the task. 2. Supervisors will establish a communication process with the employee and determine an appropriate timeline for check-ins before doing the task. Check-in times are identified before, during and after the job is completed. 3. Employees must alert the supervisor immediately of any new hazards or situations that may arise during the course of the job. 4. Unless conditions change, the supervisor will continue to conduct the risk assessment for all employees who work alone. The risk assessment chart is to be reviewed and completed by the supervisor with all employees who work alone before starting the job or task. Both the supervisor and employee will sign and date the chart upon completion. (See Appendix H, page 60) The document consists of 82 pages and contains safety guidelines to be followed in the workplace.