Safety hazards are anything that could cause physical or psychological injury. Safety hazards occur when adequate workplace standards are not met.

Every workplace should have a system in place to identify, assess and control workplace hazards.

Occupational health hazards could be materials or conditions that can cause injuries and/or illness. These hazards can cause immediate and severe effects or slow and gradual injury.

Some examples of occupational hazards include but are not limited to:

• Ergonomic (poor workstation designs, lack of proper lifting equipment)
• Stress Agents (violence, abuse, harassment)
• Chemical (acid, cleaning products)
• Biological (bacteria, viruses, dust, moulds)
• Physical Agents (cold, heat, light, noise, radiation).

Legislation defines a dangerous occurrence is any occurrence at a place of employment that did not result in but could have resulted in the death of a worker or required workers to be admitted to the hospital as an in-patient for 72 hours or more.

Legislation defines a near miss or a close call as an unplanned event that has the potential to cause, but does not actually result in human injury, environmental or equipment damage, or an interruption to normal operation.

All near misses should be reported the same way any safety concern should be reported.

A near miss is as important as, if not more important than, reporting an incident since this will help to identify and address risks and hazards before they cause harm.

Follow these steps:

1. Immediately notify your manager or supervisor and explain your concerns. They should promptly investigate the concern and take appropriate corrective action.
   
2. If your manager or supervisor cannot resolve your concerns, contact your occupational health and safety committee (OHC). The OHC will investigate the safety concern and determine the next steps to resolve the issue.

For SHA members, OHC information, including chair and co-chair information, is found at the Occupational Health Committee Resource Centre here. You need SHA login credentials to access the site.

• Once logged in, scroll down to “PowerPoint Presentation,” then find your facility or worksite and click on it.
• All co-chairs and members of your local OHS should be listed there.
• If this information is missing, contact HSAS here.

If you need help accessing the site, contact [email protected].

All other employers should have the OHC information posted in a common place such as a bulletin board accessible to all employees.

3. If an OHC identifies unsafe working conditions, provincial OHS legislation states that they should provide written notice about the unsafe conditions and recommend corrective actions to your employer.

4. If your concerns cannot be resolved at the OHC level within the workplace, you have the right to contact the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety at 1-800-567-7233 or [email protected]. An Occupational Health Officer (OHO) from the Ministry will offer advice or assistance to help resolve the issue.

You can contact HSAS for support at any time. You should contact HSAS if your issue is not being resolved, and/or if you have reached out to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

For SHA members, OHC information, including chair and co-chair information, is found at the Occupational Health Committee Resource Centre here. You need SHA login credentials to access the site.

• Once logged in, scroll down to “PowerPoint Presentation,” then find your facility or worksite and click on it.
  
• All co-chairs and members of your local OHS should be listed there.
  
• If this information is missing, contact HSAS here.

If you need help accessing the site, contact [email protected].

All other employers should have the OH&S Committee representatives posted in a common place such as a bulletin board accessible to all employees.

Additionally, a copy of the OHC minutes are to be posted at a location that is readily accessible to workers at the worksite.

When you join an OHC you are provided with the training necessary to carry out the committee’s responsibilities. The training is done during paid work time.

According to legislation, OHCs must meet at least once every three months. The term of a committee member is up to three years. Time spent attending OHC meetings or conducting work of the Committee is considered paid time even if you are not scheduled to work. If you are not being provided pay for attending such meetings contact HSAS.

While at work, workers have a responsibility to work and act safely.

A worker’s health and safety responsibilities include:

• Understanding and following health and safety requirements outlined in the Saskatchewan OH&S Legislation and employer policies and best practices.
• Proper and consistent use of safety equipment, safety devices and personal protective equipment.
• Cooperation and respect of the occupational health and safety committee and its findings or recommended changes.
• Not participating in or creating an unsafe or unhealthy workplace for others (harassment, bullying, gossip, exclusion, etc.).

From the Government of Saskatchewan:

All employers must meet the minimum requirements for health and safety standards as required by law.

Under The Saskatchewan Employment Act, an employer must:

• provide a safe and healthy workplace;
• establish and maintain an effective health and safety program and obtain input from the occupational health committee (OHC);
• make sure that managers and supervisors are trained, supported, and held accountable for fulfilling their workplace health and safety requirements;
• oversee the health and safety performance of their managers and supervisors;
• make sure workers have the information, training, certification, supervision, and experience to do their jobs safely;
• make sure medical/first aid facilities are provided as needed;
• set up effective occupational health committees;
• co-operate with the OHC and other parties to resolve health and safety issues in a timely fashion;
• keep OHC meeting minutes on file and readily available;
• ensure workers are not exposed to harassment in the workplace; and
• ensure that legal health and safety requirements are met. (click here)

The Saskatchewan Employment Act and regulations

You can contact HSAS for support at any time. You should contact HSAS if your issue is not being resolved, and/or if you have reached out to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

A work refusal is based on the belief that the work is unusually dangerous and is based on the risk of health and safety of you, the worker or another worker. 

Legislation defines unusually dangerous work as danger that is not normal for your occupation or job, danger which would not normally be carried out in your job, and/or a situation for which you are not properly trained, equipped or experienced.

1. DO NOT LEAVE THE WORKSITE.
   
2. Immediately notify your manager that you are exercising your right to refuse unsafe work.
   
3. You and your manager will discuss the work tasks and why you believe it to be unusually dangerous and the safety risk posed to you.
   
4. You can notify your workplace Occupational Health and Safety committee (OHC) for assistance at this time.
   
5. You and your manager will work together to determine the necessary corrective measures to be implemented. You can continue to refuse to perform the work until sufficient steps have been taken to ensure that you can perform the work safely.
   
6. If you and your manager cannot agree on a resolution, you can notify your workplace Occupational Health and Safety committee (OHC) for assistance at this time.
   • During the investigation, the OHC will review applicable OHS legislation, work procedures, maintenance and training records, and other necessary documentation.
   • The OHC can make suggestions for corrective action and may rule on whether the work is unusually dangerous.
   • If the OHC determines that the work is not unusually dangerous, they will advise you of their decision.
   • If the OHC determines the work is unusually dangerous, the OHC shall provide the manager with recommendations for corrective actions.
     
7. If you or your manager are not satisfied with the decision of the OHC, an Occupational Health Officer (OHO) from the Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety’s Occupational Health and Safety Branch at 1-800-567-7233 or [email protected] can be requested to investigate further.
   
8. Your manager may, at any time during this process, reassign you to other work at no loss in pay or benefits, until the concern is resolved.
   
9. Your manager cannot assign an alternate worker to the disputed work unless that worker is advised of the work refusal and reasons for the refusal. That worker will also be entitled to exercise their right to refuse.

You can contact HSAS for support at any time. You should contact HSAS if your issue is not being resolved, and/or if you have reached out to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

A worker is bullied and harassed when someone acts in a way that they know or reasonably ought to have known would cause that worker to be humiliated or intimidated.

Examples of behaviours or comments that might constitute bullying and harassment include verbal aggression or insults, calling derogatory names, vandalizing personal belongings, spreading malicious rumours etc.

1. You are encouraged to make it known to the other person as soon as possible and in a respectful manner in an attempt to resolve the problem. Do not retaliate.
   
   
2. Keep a factual journal or diary of events, recording the date, time, and what happened in as much detail as possible. Write down names of any witnesses and the outcome of the event.
   
3. If the problem is not resolved or you if you do not wish to speak directly to the other person, you are encouraged to report it to your employer and/or your union (HSAS).
   
4. If your employer has failed to take reasonable steps to address the harassment, you can request the assistance of the Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety’s Occupational Health and Safety Branch at 1-800-567-7233 or [email protected] and contact HSAS here.

• Any action taken by the Employer relating to management and direction of workers at the place of employment.
  
• Offering constructive feedback, guidance, or advice about work related behaviour.
  
• Normal physical contact necessary for the performance of your work.
  
• Normal social contact between workers and/or others that are part of the work environment, based on an objective view of mutual consent.
  
• Conflict or disagreement in the workplace not based on one of the prohibited grounds, as per the Saskatchewan Human Rights legislation.

Once a formal harassment complaint is submitted to the Employer:

1. Employment Relations will complete a pre-assessment of the complaint to identify if the test for harassment has been met.
   
2. Employment Relations will hold a meeting with you and your union representative to conduct a preliminary assessment.
   
3. If harassment is found, the complaint will be forwarded for further investigation. If no harassment is found, the Employer will provide alternate solutions, including the option to appeal the decision with Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

A complaint of harassment must be filed within twelve months of the last event of alleged harassment leading to the complaint unless there are extenuating circumstances. Allegations can go back further in time to describe incidents or events if you can demonstrate that they are directly related to the last event of alleged harassment that led to your complaint.

You can contact HSAS for support at any time. You should contact HSAS if your issue is not being resolved, and/or if you have reached out to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

Is it Harassment? A Tool to Guide Employees – Canada.ca

CCOHS: Bullying in the Workplace