HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 643 HS - Workplace Saftey InspectionsPROCEDURE PR.643.HS
TITLE:WORKSITE SAFETY INSPECTIONS
Date Authorized:08 July 2005
Last Revised:05 December 2023
Last Reviewed:05 December 2023
COMMITMENT TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS,HUMAN RIGHTS,AND EQUITY
The District recognizes its responsibility to ensure that the development of this procedure and the
associated work promotes and protects Indigenous rights,human rights,and equity.The District will
strive to address and eliminate discrimination and structural and systemic barriers for students,staff,
and community.
1.0 RATIONALE
To ensure that all OCDSB workplaces are inspected monthly in accordance with the
Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Terms of Reference for the Structure and
Function of the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC).
2.0 DEFINITIONS
Please refer to Appendix A for a full list of definitions used in this Procedure.
3.0 RESPONSIBILITY
3.1 Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that worksite safety representatives
are afforded the time to conduct monthly worksite safety inspections;
responding to issues noted by the worksite safety representative within 21
days,and implementing corrective actions (including assigning work to
custodial staff)for items noted in an inspection report.
3.2 The Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)Team is responsible for making
training available to worksite safety representatives,maintaining a system for
managing worksite safety inspections,and providing advice and guidance to
all affected stakeholders.
3.3 Worksite Safety Representatives are responsible for conducting an inspection
of their worksite within the calendar month,as required.
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4.0 PROCEDURE
Scheduling Inspections
4.1 Workplace inspections must be conducted in each calendar month at all
OCDSB workplaces where workers are regularly working.
4.2 Each September,Worksite Safety Representatives,in consultation with the
Supervisor,will establish an inspections schedule.The JHSC may review the
schedule and confirm whether the submitted schedule is acceptable.
4.3 Where possible,inspections will be scheduled to take place in the first 10
working days of the month.
4.4 Schools and sites where the Worksite Safety Representative is not normally
employed and available over the summer months will be inspected by a
member (or designated alternate)of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
(JHSC).
4.5 Worksite Safety Representatives will be released from their regular duties to
conduct the monthly inspections as follows:
a)At smaller sites (at or under 10,000 square metres,including portable
floor space),Worksite Safety Representatives will be released one half
day per month to conduct the inspection of their school.
b)At larger sites (over 10,000 square metres,including portable floor
space)and at all administrative sites,Worksite Safety Representatives
will be released one day per month to conduct the inspection of the site.
Where,based on extenuating circumstances,a Worksite Safety
Representative is of the opinion that more time is required to complete a
monthly inspection,they will forward a request,including a description of the
extenuating circumstances,to the Occupational Health and Safety Division for
consideration.
4.6 The Worksite Safety Representatives will invite the Supervisor and the Chief
Custodian for the site (where they are not the Safety Representative)to attend
the inspection.Where the Supervisor and/or chief custodian is unable to attend
the inspection at the scheduled time,the Worksite Safety Representatives
may:
a)agree to reschedule to a more favourable time/date;or
b)proceed with the inspection at the scheduled time and date.
Conducting Inspections
4.7 All reasonable efforts will be made to conduct an inspection of the entire site
each month.In a rare exception where only a portion of the worksite will be
inspected in a given month,Worksite Safety Representatives must specifically
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indicate which areas were inspected in the eBASE Inspection module.
4.8 Higher hazard areas,including fan rooms,mechanical rooms,boiler rooms,
science lab classrooms and technology and trades classrooms,must be
inspected each month.
4.9 The worksite safety inspection process will be documented using the eBASE
Inspections module.
4.10 If a Worksite Safety Representative or their designated alternate is not
available onsite or able to complete a monthly inspection,the Occupational
Health and Safety office should be contacted and arrangements will be made
for someone else who has received training to complete the inspection,from
among the following options:
a)a staff member who has previously held the role of Worksite Safety
Representative at the site,is trained and willing to conduct the
inspection;
b)a Joint Committee worker member or alternate worker member;or
c)a non-management worker from Occupational Health and Safety office;
If none of the above options are available,a member of the site’s custodial
staff,if agreeable,will complete the inspection.
As a last resort,if no worker is available to complete the monthly inspection at
a site,an employer representative may complete this inspection.
All of the above alternates will be provided with training,if required,prior to
completing their inspection and released time or compensated if outside of the
regular work day.
Responding to Inspection Reports
4.11 Supervisors must review and take action on any items identified in the
inspection within 21 calendar days of the inspection date by:
a)marking the item as not actionable;
b)assigning staff to resolve the issue;or
c)marking the issue as resolved after taking action.
4.12 The Supervisor will post the most recent inspection report on the site’s
occupational health and safety bulletin board within 21 calendar days of the
inspection.
4.13 Archived inspection reports will be stored automatically within the eBASE
system and can be accessed any time (e.g.at the request of an inspector from
the Ministry of Labour,Immigration,Training and Skills Development).
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Forwarding Items to the JHSC
4.14 Worksite Safety Representatives,Supervisors,and Chief Custodians will have
the ability to highlight items for the JHSC to review within the eBASE system
for any reason,including where the Worksite Safety Representative
determines that:
a)appropriate corrective action has not been or will not be taken within a
reasonable timeframe;
b)that the corrective measures taken to date have not adequately
c)addressed the hazard;
d)the action plan developed by the Supervisor will not adequately address
the hazard;or
e)there is reason to believe that the issue identified may exist across the
system,and may require central corrective action.
Training
4.15 Worksite Safety Representatives will be offered training in accordance with the
current Terms of Reference for the Structure and Function of the Joint Health
and Safety Committee.
4.16 New Worksite Safety Representatives will complete training in September
before conducting their first inspection.
4.17 Worksite Safety Representatives who have received training previously will be
provided a half day to review the training module in eBASE every two years.
4.18 The training will include completion or review of an online training module and
the opportunity to attend a questions and answers session with a member of
the OH&S Team.
4.19 Worksite safety inspection training will be developed in consultation with the
JHSC and will include information about:
a)the relationship between the JHSC and the Worksite Safety
Representatives;
b)the OCDSB multi-site JHSC;
c)Worksite Safety Representatives’Responsibilities and freedom from
liability;
d)requirements for frequency,scheduling,coordination,and scope of
inspections;
e)the inspection process;
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f)using the eBASE system to record and track inspections;
g)examples of general and specific hazards to look for,particularly those
frequently noted across the District;and
h)overviews of Supervisor and Chief Custodian actions in eBASE.
4.20 The JHSC,Supervisors,and Chief Custodians will have access to the same
training provided to Worksite Safety Representatives as well as detailed
training related to using the eBASE system to manage their responsibilities for
managing inspections.
5.0 APPENDICES
Appendix A:Procedure Definitions
6.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act R.S.O.1990 (as amended)
OCDSB Policy P.058.HS:Occupational Health and Safety
Terms of Reference for the Structure and Function of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
(current version approved by the Ministry of Labour,Training,Skills Development and
Immigration).OCDSB Multi-Site Joint Health and Safety Committee Terms of Reference
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APPENDIX A:PROCEDURE DEFINITIONS
In this procedure,
Supervisor refers to principals or vice-principals in all elementary and secondary schools and in
administrative sites refers to the manager,Supervisor or other staff person in a Supervisory role who
has been appointed by the District as the administrator for that site.
Worksite Safety Inspection refers to a systematic process by which potential and actual
hazards in the workplace are observed and recorded,recommendations are made for their
correction,and reports are disseminated for action.
Worksite Safety Representative refers to a worker at a site who has been selected in accordance
with the District’s Terms of Reference for the Structure and Function of the Joint Health and Safety
Committee.
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