AP 710: Occupational Health and Safety
Health & Safety
Background
The Superintendent promotes the belief that all individuals are entitled to a safe and healthy work/learning environment, in alignment with Board Policy and Administrative Procedure. To this end, Division staff are committed to the safety and well-being of our employees, students, visitors and contract workers.
The goal for the Division is to eliminate or minimize hazards which cause accidents or injuries by implementing a division-wide Occupational Health and Safety Program. The Division’s Occupational Health and Safety Program has also been developed to comply with all legislative requirements which have relevance to the operation of a school division.
Employees shall take reasonable care to protect themselves and others in the workplace and are expected to cooperate with the employer to create a safe work/learning environment.
Procedures
1. All Division employees shall familiarize themselves with the different sections of the Division’s Occupational Health and Safety Manual [the Manual].
2. The Manual shall be available online, and shall consist of the following sections: The Manual shall be available online, and shall consist of the following sections:
2.1. Section 1: Introduction
2.2. Section 2: Implementing Occupational Health & Safety in Schools and Division Workplaces
2.2.1. Section 2.2: Joint Workplace Health and Safety Committee
2.3. Section 3: Hazard Assessment and Control
2.4. Section 4: Emergency Preparedness
2.5. Section 5: First Aid
2.6. Section 6: Chemical Hazards
2.7. Section 7: Personal Protective Equipment
2.8. Section 8: Hearing Conservation
2.9. Section 9: Confined/Restricted Spaces
2.10. Section 10: Infection Control
2.11. Section 11: Employee Safety and Security
2.12. Section 12: Accident/Incident Reporting and Investigation Section
2.13. 13: Safe Work Practices
2.14. Section 14: Third Party Contractor Adherence
With respect to school-based procedures:
3. School principals shall ensure staff familiarity and compliance with occupational health and safety guidelines and practices, notably:
3.1. Principals shall ensure the required number of staff are trained with First-Aid Certification (Emergency, CPR and/or Standard, as required);
3.2. Principals shall ensure all staff complete the required Hazard Assessments as required within the Manual; and
3.3. Principals shall ensure Site Inspections are conducted as directed in the Manual;
3.3.1. Site Inspection Checklists are available within the Manual.
Joint Work Site Health and Safety Committee
4. A Joint Worksite Health and Safety Committee shall be formed and shall operate in accordance with Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, comprised of Sections 16 to 30 inclusive.
4.1. The overall purpose of the Committee shall be to provide oversight on OH&S compliance in the Division and make recommendations to the Office of the Superintendent for action.
Membership
5. Members of the Committee shall be cross-organizational, representing all major operations and bargaining units of the Division and should be composed of (at least) one (1) representative from each of the following areas:
5.1. Worker Members, including the following: Teacher(s), Centre for Education (CFE), Instructional Support Staff, Transportation, Facilities, Information Technologies, and School Administrative Support Staff; and
5.2. Employer Members, including the following: The Superintendent or designate, Maintenance Supervisor, Director of Human Resources, School Principal.
6. The Joint Worksite Health and Safety Committee shall have 2 co-chairs, one selected from the Worker Members and one selected from Employer Members:
6.1. Co-chairs shall alternate serving as chair at meetings of the JWSHSC and shall participate in all decisions of the Committee;
6.2. Co-chairs shall ensure the following regarding meeting minutes:
6.2.1. That minutes of each meeting of the committee are recorded;
6.2.2. That copies of the minutes approved by the committee are given to the employer within 7 days of the meeting; and
6.2.3. That copies of the minutes approved by the committee are posted or provided by electronic means at each school/facility within 7 days of the meeting.
7. The Health and Safety Committee shall meet regularly and not less than four times each school year.
8. A special Joint Health and Safety Meeting may be called:
8.1. At the request of either co-chair to deal with an emergent or urgent concern; and/or
8.2. If requested to do so by an Occupational Health and Safety Officer.
Quorum
9. Meetings shall have a quorum of 50% of Committee members present with both worker and management representation and at least 1 co-chair present.
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9.1. The number of voting management members must not exceed the number of voting worker members; and
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9.2. If for any reason quorum is not met, the chair will ensure that a meeting of the Committee is rescheduled as soon as possible.
Agenda
10. The Co-chairs shall work collaboratively in producing the agenda for each meeting.
10.1. The agenda shall be distributed by the recording secretary one week in advance of the meeting.
Joint Workplace Health and Safety Committee Duties
11. The duties of the joint work site health and safety committee include the following:
11.1. The receipt, consideration and disposition of concerns and complaints respecting the health and safety of workers;
11.2. Participation in the identification of hazards of workers or other persons arising out of or in conjunction with the activities at the work site;
11.3. The development and promotion of measures to protect the health and safety of persons at the work site and checking the effectiveness of such measures;
11.4. Cooperation with an officer exercising duties under this Act, the regulations and the Occupational Health and Safety Code;
11.5. The development and promotion of programs for education and information concerning health and safety;
11.6. The making of recommendations to the Executive Team respecting the health and safety of workers;
11.7. The inspection of the work site at regular intervals;
11.8. The participation in investigations of serious injuries and incidents at the work site in accordance with s. 40 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
11.8.1. The maintenance of records in connection with the receipt and disposition of concerns and complaints and the attendance to other matters relating to the duties of the committee
11.9. Such other duties as may be specified in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the regulations and the OHS code
Regarding Confidentiality
12. All members will be bound by confidentiality except where disclosure of information is specifically required by legislation.
