Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

Roles and Responsibilities

The Employer

1. The College, as the Employer, is responsible for:
   1. Providing resources, governance, and oversight for the OH&S program and fostering a safety culture of prevention and continuous improvement
   2. Providing a healthy and safe work environment for all occupants of the College
   3. Providing personal protective equipment to employees, and enforcing its use by employees and contractors
   4. Providing leadership support and resources to maintain the safety standards of the College

Executive Director; Safety, Security, Risk & Privacy

2. The Executive Director; Safety, Security, Risk & Privacy, or their delegate, is responsible for:
   1. Overseeing the work of the Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator
   2. Establishing, maintaining, and reviewing annually the Occupational Health and Safety Program

Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator

3. The Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator, or their delegate, is responsible for:
   1. Administering VCC’s Occupational Health and Safety Program
   2. Acting as a resource to the VCC community to provide information, consultation, and training on matters relating to occupational health and safety
   3. Liaising with and reporting incidents to WorkSafeBC

Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees

4. The Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees consists of both worker and employer representatives who consult in a cooperative manner to identify and resolve health and safety issues in the workplace.
5. The Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees are responsible for:
   1. Meeting at least monthly
   2. Identifying situations that may be unhealthy or unsafe for the VCC community, and advising on effective systems for responding to those situations
   3. Participating in site safety inspections and safety investigations
   4. Making meeting minutes readily accessible to the Employer, Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee members, workers, union representatives and WorkSafeBC.

Supervisors

6. Supervisors are responsible for:
   1. Knowing their specific work area’s health and safety requirements, procedures and guidelines
   2. Ensuring that workers are provided with orientation and training, and personal protective equipment when required
   3. Ensuring that they are knowledgeable in safe work procedures, regulatory requirements, and WorkSafeBC requirements
   4. Knowing and following the College’s emergency procedures
   5. Reporting health and safety concerns, near misses, and incidents to the Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator
   6. Conducting inspections and addressing unsafe work conditions

Employees and Students

7. Employees and students are responsible for:
   1. Working safely and ensuring their own safety as well as the safety of their colleagues and students
   2. Following established safe work procedures
   3. Knowing, following, and participating in the College’s emergency procedures and guidelines for their specific work area
   4. Using personal protective equipment, devices, and clothing as required
   5. Reporting any hazards, injuries/exposures, near misses and safety related incidents to their supervisor.

Reporting Process

8. Employees who witness an incident or near miss must report it to their Supervisor immediately, whether or not an injury has occurred. Students who witness an incident or near miss must report it to their instructor or any other College employee.
9. Supervisors or any employee who has received a student report must complete an incident report and submit it to VCC’s OH&S Coordinator within twenty-four hours of an incident or near miss occurring.
10. The OH&S Coordinator will review reports and determine whether the incident is reportable to WorkSafeBC.