Employers Responsibilities

According to the OHS legislation set forth in the Canada Labour Code, employers are responsible for the following:

• Establishing and maintaining a joint health and safety committee, or causing workers to select at least one health and safety representative
• Taking every reasonable precaution to ensure that the workplace is safe
• Training employees about any potential hazards and in safely using, handling, storing, and disposing hazardous substances and how to handle emergencies
• Supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring that workers know how to use the equipment safely and properly
• Immediately reporting all critical injuries to the government department responsible for OHS
• Appointing a competent supervisor who sets the standards for performance, and who ensures that safe working conditions are always observed

Managers and supervisors act on behalf of the employer and, therefore, must meet the duties of the employer. Managers and supervisors are responsible for the following:

• Ensuring that workers use prescribed PPE
• Advising workers of potential and actual hazards
• Taking every reasonable precaution to protect workers

CSA standards dictate that employers are responsible for establishing an effective hazardous energy control program. An employer's program must be designed to protect individuals from hazardous energy during the activities specified under the responsibilities of manufacturers. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that an individual is authorized to perform any work involving hazardous energy control.

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