Humber employees are covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The OHSA is based on an internal responsibility system and identifies roles and responsibilities for employers, supervisors and employees or “workers”. The Act also gives workers specific rights for the protection of their own health and safety.

Workplace Responsibilities
Humber as the Employer
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) sets out many duties, or responsibilities, that the employer must follow. The overriding purpose of these requirements is the creation and maintenance of a healthy and safe workplace. As an employer, Humber must:

• make sure workers know about hazards in the work they are doing by providing information, training, instruction and supervision on how to work safely
• create workplace health and safety policies and procedures and ensure that they are being followed
• ensure supervisors are competent, as defined in the OHSA, and that they know what is required to protect their workers’ health and safety
• ensure that the equipment, materials and protective devices, as prescribed by regulation, or required by Humber, are provided, used and maintained in good condition.
• provide information and assistance to our Joint Health and Safety Committee to allow the Committee to carry out its duties effectively

It should be emphasized that the employer has a general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.

Supervisors
As defined in the OHSA, a supervisor is a person who has charge of a workplace or authority over a worker. The OHSA requires the supervisor to follow the Act and regulations as well as the policies and procedures that the employer has made a requirement of the workplace. Supervisors must:

• advise workers about hazards in the work they are doing and respond to worker concerns
• show workers how to work safely and ensure that they follow the OHSA, applicable regulations and workplace policies and procedures
• make sure workers wear and use the proper protective equipment and devices correctly

The supervisor must also take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of their workers.

Employees or “Workers”
All Humber employees are considered “workers” under the OHSA. Workers must:

• follow the OHSA and regulations as well as Humber policies and procedures
• report any hazards and injuries to their supervisor
• wear and use any required protective equipment
• work in a way that will not injure themselves or others: the OHSA prohibits a worker from using equipment in a manner that may endanger himself/herself or another worker and from engaging in any pranks or horseplay in the workplace

Worker Rights
All Humber employees are considered "workers" under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
As set out in the OHSA all workers have the right to:

• know about existing and potential hazards in the workplace and how to protect themselves
• participate in health and safety; this may mean discussing safety issues with your supervisor or participating in Humber’s Joint Health and Safety Committee
• refuse unsafe work. See Humber’s refusal procedure for more details.                                                                                                                           

Thank you for reviewing this information.  Tomorrow’s message will focus on Scent – Related Issues, and remember that Friday’s message will offer the opportunity to win prizes!

HR Services | Health and Safety Services

NAOSH Week is led by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). 
More information about NAOSH Week can be found at www.naosh.ca or www.csse.org.

Humber College is committed to providing a learning, working and living environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Key to maintaining this commitment is Humber employees’ awareness and observation of their responsibilities as outlined in section four (4), page four (4) of Humber’s Human Rights Policy. Humber employees’ are required to:

1. Foster a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and rights of each individual;
2. Familiarize themselves with Humber’s policies, procedures and practices and exhibit the appropriate behavior for dealing with human rights;
3. Prevent, report and discourage discrimination and harassment by others; and
4. Participate in ongoing professional development education and training that may enhance their ability to act in an anti-discriminatory manner. 

The College has the right, as well as the legal and moral responsibility, to ensure that all its members are treated fairly, equitably, and respectfully.

The Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity | HR Services is available to all employees to provide support and advice in the area of human rights. If you suspect that an issue you are dealing with in the classroom or in your department is human rights related, please contact Nancy Simms, Director, Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity for a quick consultation at nancy.simms@humber.ca or 416.675.6622 ext. 4425.

For more information on Humber’s Human Rights Policy visit: humber.ca/policies/human-rights-policy

Peer Programs, now known as Peer Assisted Learning Support, has moved to the Learning Resource Commons, Third Floor.

We invite you all to visit us in our new space and check out our website humber.ca/learningresources