Summary of Employer Duties in Occupational Health and Safety
Employer Duties in Occupational Health and Safety: A Student Guide
Introduction
Workplace health and safety ensures that employees are protected from hazards arising from the production, processing, use, handling, storage or transportation of materials and from the equipment and tasks they perform. Employers carry primary responsibility for identifying hazards, establishing controls and ensuring workers know what to do and not to do.
Definition: Workplace health and safety refers to the policies, procedures and practices designed to prevent work-related injury and ill health by identifying hazards and implementing controls.
Employer duties: an overview
Break the employer's role into clear responsibilities to make it easier to apply in real workplaces.
1. Hazard identification
- Employers must identify potential hazards present during work activities, when something is produced, processed, used, stored or transported, and while equipment is used.
- Practical method: conduct regular workplace inspections and job hazard analyses (JHAs).
Definition: A job hazard analysis (JHA) is a step-by-step review of a task to identify hazards and determine controls.
Example: In a packaging line, hazards include mechanical pinch points, repetitive motion, and exposure to dust during filling operations.
2. Precautionary measures and implementation
- Once hazards are identified, employers must establish precautionary measures and provide the means to implement them (engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE).
- Common hierarchy of controls (from most to least effective):
- Elimination
- Substitution
- Engineering controls
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
| Control type | Typical actions | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | Remove hazard entirely | Remove a hazardous chemical from the process |
| Substitution | Replace with less hazardous option | Use a less toxic solvent |
| Engineering | Isolate people from hazard | Install machine guards, local exhaust ventilation |
| Administrative | Change how people work | Rotate tasks, provide training, signage |
| PPE | Personal protection | Gloves, goggles, respiratory protection |
3. Information, instruction, training and supervision
- Employers must provide necessary information and clear instructions about hazards and controls.
- Training should match workers’ competence: what they may do and what they may not do.
- Supervision ensures procedures are followed and new hazards are caught early.
Practical example: Before operating a forklift, workers should receive classroom training plus supervised on-the-job practice and periodic competency checks.
Definition: Competence is the combination of training, experience and ability to perform tasks safely and correctly.
4. Permission to work and enforcement
- Employers must not permit tasks to continue unless necessary precautionary measures are in place.
- They must take steps to ensure every person under their control complies with safety requirements and enforce control measures.
Example: If a chemical spill occurs and containment measures are incomplete, the area must be isolated and work stopped until corrective measures are implemented.
5. Supervision by trained workers
- Work and equipment must be under the general supervision of a worker trained to understand associated hazards.
- That supervisor ensures precautionary measures are maintained and implemented.
Practical tip: Supervisors should receive hazard-specific briefings and a checklist to verify controls each shift.
Practical checklist for employers
- Identify and list potential hazards for each task and location.
- Select controls using the hierarchy of controls and document chosen measures.
- Provide written procedures, training and verification of competence.
- Assign trained supervisors and define the
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Workplace Safety Duties
Klíčové pojmy: Identify hazards present during tasks and equipment use, Use the hierarchy of controls: elimination to PPE, Document chosen controls and how they are implemented, Provide role-specific training and verify competence, Assign trained supervisors to oversee hazardous work, Do not allow tasks to continue unless controls are in place, Stop and isolate when new or insufficient controls are found, Ensure all persons under control comply with safety measures, Enforce control measures consistently and document enforcement, Use regular inspections and JHAs to update hazard lists, Provide clear information on what workers may and may not do, Prefer engineering controls to reduce long-term reliance on PPE