About OH & S (Occupational Health and Safety)
Whether you call it occupational health and safety (OH & S) or workplace health and safety, the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses is in everyone’s best interest.
Occupational Health and Safety programs are based on the requirements of the OHS Act and regulations in your jurisdiction. However, you should look at the regulations as a basic requirement. You may need or wish to have a program that goes beyond the minimum regulatory requirement.
Elements of an OH & S Safety Program
The elements of a workplace safety program include, at a minimum:
- program management — policies, goals, procedures
- employee competency — training
- hazard assessment
- hazard control
- inspections
- incident/accident reporting
- emergency preparedness
- program administration
- An important practice you may consider is “ZERO-Injuries”. There are many steps on the road to ZERO. One essential step is to think about the state of workplace health and safety in your organization.
- What are your injury-reduction or other OH & S-related goals or plans?
- Do you need to establish or improve your OH & S management system?
- How much training do you do, or need to do?
- Have you budgeted for enough training?
Training is an essential means of meeting your organization’s workplace health and safety objectives. Leading companies that have achieved millions of person-hours without a lost-time injury use regular and innovative training to teach and motivate their employees about various aspects of safety.
OH & S - Following the Rules
Every employer and every worker needs to examine their actions at the workplace. Some tough questions need to be asked, such as:
- Are safe practices being followed at the work site?
- Are employees acting and working safely?
- Is there a workplace health and safety program in place?
- Do workers have access to appropriate personal protective equipment for the job?
- Are they trained to use it properly and consistently when required?
These are only a few of the many, many questions that need to be asked.
The Workplace Health and Safety Division of Alberta Human Resources and Employment is responsible for enforcing OH & S legislation in Alberta. Enforcement actions may include warnings, orders and prosecutions. See www.whs.gov.ab.ca for more information.
By implementing and then continually improving your OH & S management system, you will be able to meet the letter of the law — avoid an enforcement action — and to “comply” with the spirit or intent of the law — which is to prevent workplace injuries in the first place.
Keep Up-to-date with our OH & S HANDI-GUIDES