OHSA Self-Assessment (Occupational Health and Safety)

1. Do you have a written health and safety policy, signed by the chief executive officer and displayed where employees can see it?

The Act provides for a written policy on protecting employees' health and safety, signed by the chief executive officer and prominently displayed. (OHSA s7)

2. Have you identified the hazards in each workplace and assessed the risk they pose to employees?

(OHSA s8(2)(d))

3. Where you found a hazard, did you remove or control it at the source first, and use personal protective equipment only for what remains?

The Act expects hazards to be eliminated or mitigated before personal protective equipment is relied on. (OHSA s8(2)(b))

4. Do you provide and maintain safe systems of work, plant and machinery, and safe ways of using, handling, storing and moving articles and substances?

(OHSA s8(2)(a), (c))

5. Where employees need protective equipment, do you supply it, train them to use it, and make sure it is used?

(OHSA s8(2))

1. Does the chief executive officer (or head of the business) understand that they must make sure the employer's duties under the Act are properly discharged?

The chief executive officer may assign duties to someone else under their control, but remains responsible. (OHSA s16(1))

2. If you assign health and safety duties to other people, is each assignment in writing, with the person accepting it and able to carry it out?

(OHSA s16(2))

3. Do you take reasonable care that visitors, customers, contractors and other people who are not your employees are not put at risk by your work?

(OHSA s9)

4. Before a contractor starts work for you, do you check that they are registered for injury-on-duty cover and have a safe way of working?

Using a contractor does not remove your own duties to the people who work on your premises. Check the current rules on contractors, including the written agreement an employer may need with a mandatary. (OHSA s37, COIDA)

1. Do you tell employees about the hazards of their work and how to prevent harm, before they begin?

(OHSA s8(2)(e))

2. Do you give employees the training and supervision needed to do their work safely?

(OHSA s8(2)(e))

3. Do you make sure employees know the health and safety rules, and do you act when they are not followed?

(OHSA s8(2)(f))

4. Do employees know they must take reasonable care of their own and others' safety, obey safety rules, and report unsafe situations and incidents?

(OHSA s14)

1. If you have more than 20 employees at a workplace, have you designated health and safety representatives in writing?

(OHSA s17(1))

2. Do you have enough representatives for your headcount (one per 100 employees, or part of it, in shops and offices; one per 50 elsewhere)?

(OHSA s17(5))

3. Are the representatives full-time employees who know the workplace, and do they get time in working hours and the facilities and training they need?

(OHSA ss17, 18)

4. Do representatives carry out their work: inspect the workplace at agreed intervals, look into complaints and incidents, and make recommendations to you?

(OHSA s18)

5. Where you have two or more representatives, have you set up a health and safety committee that meets at least every three months?

(OHSA s19)

6. Does the committee discuss every incident in which someone was injured, became ill or died, and do you keep records of its recommendations and your response?

(OHSA s20)

1. Do you record every workplace injury, illness and near miss, including those that need no report to anyone?

(OHSA s8(2)(h), regulations)

2. Do you know which incidents must be reported to the provincial director of the Department of Employment and Labour (death, loss of consciousness, loss of a limb, injury or illness likely to cause death or permanent defect, or inability to work for 14 days or more, and major incidents such as a dangerous spill or machinery out of control)?

(OHSA s24)

3. After a death or serious incident, do you know not to disturb the scene until an inspector allows it, except to prevent further harm or rescue people?

(OHSA s24)

4. Do you also report work injuries and illness to the Compensation Fund (or the insurer) under the compensation law?

(COIDA)

5. Do you have an emergency plan with trained first aiders, suitable first aid supplies and fire precautions for each workplace?

The detailed first aid, fire and evacuation rules sit in the regulations (for example the General Safety Regulations and the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces). Check the current requirements for your headcount. (OHSA regulations)

1. Are your premises kept in a safe, clean and healthy condition, with adequate lighting, ventilation, toilets, drinking water and fire safety?

(Environmental and Facilities Regulations)

2. If employees use hazardous chemicals, do you keep safety data sheets, label containers and assess and control exposure?

(Hazardous Chemical Agents Regulations (GN R280, 2021))

3. If work involves lifting, repetitive tasks, display screens or awkward postures, have you assessed and controlled the ergonomic risk?

(Ergonomics Regulations (GN R1589, 2019))

4. If you do construction, electrical, pressure equipment or other specialist work, do you follow the regulations for that work (for example the Construction Regulations) and have the required permits and competent persons?

(OHSA regulations)