ABOUT STAFFING HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY
POLICY STATEMENT
Note: This document has been updated to be compliant with changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act resulting from Bill 30.
About Staffing is vitally involved in the health and safety of its employees. Protection of employees from injury or occupational disease is a major continuing objective. About Staffing will make every effort to provide a safe and healthy work environment. All clients, supervisors, employees, contractors, constructors, and suppliers must be dedicated to the continuing objective of reducing risk of injury.
About Staffing shares a joint responsibility, with our clients, for worker health and safety and will take every reasonable precaution possible for the protection of our employees.
About Staffing is committed to promoting a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, contractors, customers, and visitors. In pursuit of our commitment, About Staffing will develop, implement, and enforce such policies and procedures that promote and provide a healthier, safer work environment. About Staffing understands the importance of safety to the wellbeing and productivity of its people and strives to safeguard the workplace from injury and malfeasance through dereliction of duty towards safety.
About Staffing will act in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Alberta and its regulations, as well as the Occupational Health and Safety Code.
GUIDELINES
About Staffing encourages open communication on health and safety issues. It is essential to providing an injury-free and productive work environment.
- Employees who voice or identify a health and safety concern will not be subject to retaliation.
- Health and safety comments and concerns will be reviewed by the appropriate Health and Safety representative, and/or the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC.) The health and safety department will initiate an investigation on each reported or potential hazard.
- Employees are encouraged to inform their direct supervisor and the About Staffing JHSC of any matter they perceive to be an actual or potential workplace hazard.
- Communication can be written or oral, and may be anonymous if so desired.
RESPONSIBILITIES
About Staffing
About Staffing will ensure the health, safety, and welfare of:
- Workers engaged in About Staffing work; pertaining to affiliate clients work sites and the head office;
- Individuals who are not engaged in About Staffing work but are present at the company’s work site where work is being carried out; and
- Other people at or in the vicinity of the worksite who may be affected by hazards related to the worksite.
About Staffing additionally makes the commitment to:
- Verify all employees assigned to a project are qualified to perform the tasks required;
- Confirm all employees have access to the appropriate PPE for each work site;
- Ensure affiliate clients are capable of safeguarding the health and safety of the employees;
- Provide and needed information, instructions and assistance to all supervisory staff in order to protect the health and safety of all our employees;
- Understand and enforce the Health and Safety policy as well as the OH&S legislation as it applies to all areas of the company operations;
- Provide ongoing health and safety training as required by the legislation and industry; and
- Monitor all projects, holding collective and individual safety performance accountable.
- Set an example and provide leadership in the health and safety program;
Affiliate Clients
Furthermore, with a dedicated partnership with About Staffing’s clients, all parties will ensure that:
- Employees are aware of their rights and duties regarding health and safety,
- No employee is subject to, or contributes to, harassment or violence in the workplace;
- Employees are properly supervised by an individual who is competent and familiar with applicable health and safety legislation;
- There is full cooperation with the health and safety representative and/or the JHSC in the exchange of essential information and resolution of any health and safety concerns;
- Health and safety concerns are resolved in a timely manner;
- There is full cooperation with any person exercising a duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act or Occupational Health and Safety Code.
About Staffing’s affiliate clients will also ensure that employees are properly trained, evaluated, and orientated in the job functions assigned to them as well as relevant health and safety matters before they:
- Begin performing work;
- Perform a new duty, use a new piece of equipment, or use a new process; or
- Are moved to a new area of work.
Supervisors
Supervisors, as long as it is reasonable to do so, are responsible for:
- Ensuring that employees receive adequate training in their specific work tasks to protect their health and safety;
- Taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of every worker under their supervision;
- Ensuring that employees under their supervision work in accordance with all applicable health and safety policies and procedures set out by legislation and the company;
- Ensuring that employees under their supervision use all required hazard controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) as required by legislation or by the company;
- Ensuring that no employee under their supervision is subject to or contributes to harassment or violence in the workplace;
- Advising employees under their supervision of all known or foreseeable health and safety hazards in the area where employees will work;
- Reporting any concern, committed act, or harmful condition pertaining to health and safety immediately;
- Work with the health and safety representative to arrange for medical treatment as required, including appropriate transportation for treatment; and
- Complying with all health and safety legislation and cooperating with any person exercising their duty under health and safety legislation.
- Cooperating with affiliate clients with any incident investigations relating to property damage, near miss, lost time, no time, medical aid, security incident, and first aid, etc.
Employees
All employees at About Staffing are responsible for:
- Taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and others in the vicinity of the work site;
- Cooperating with the company and its supervisors in protecting the health and safety of all employees, other workers engaged in work for About Staffing and affiliate clients, along with any other worker present at the work site;
- Using PPE and devices as required by health and safety legislation or the company in order to protect their health and safety;
- Not participating in or causing harassment or violence in the workplace;
- Immediately reporting any concerns, acts, or harmful conditions that pertain to health and safety to both the direct supervisor and the health and safety representative;
- Complying with all health and safety legislation and cooperating with any person exercising their duty under health and safety legislation; and
- Cooperate with and/or attend JHSC meetings pertaining to active concerns.
Contractors, Suppliers and Visitors:
Any and all contractors, suppliers, and/or visitors at About Staffing or its affiliate clients are responsible for:
- Cooperating with all About Staffing and its affiliate clients health and safety programs;
- Reporting to their contact immediately upon arrival, signing in where applicable;
- Taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and others in the vicinity of the work site;
- Using PPE and devices as required by health and safety legislation or the company in order to protect their health and safety;
- Not participating in or causing harassment or violence in the workplace; and
- Ensuring receipt of adequate training and/or site-specific orientations related to individual work tasks to protect their health and safety.
Joint Health and Safety Committee:
About Staffing’s JHSC is compiled of at least four members including a key health and safety representative along with two representatives of the employees, and/or guest speakers; ie. employee’s representing specific health and safety concerns. The combined responsibilities of the JHSC are:
- Promoting health and safety in the workplace by setting an example and providing leadership in the health and safety program;
- Conduct monthly meetings, recording attendance and meeting minutes;
- Address any concerns brought forward to the JHSC, finding resolution within a timely manner;
- Conduct hazard assessments, inspections and workplace investigations as assigned;
- Review hazard assessments, inspections, and investigations of all About Staffing affiliate client’s worksites;
- Participate and/or make recommendations about the identification and control of workplace hazards; and
- Review the health and safety program annually and/or as legislation changes.
Should you have any questions, please contact our Safety Representatives at: safety@aboutstaffing.com or give us a call at 403-508-1000.