Health & Safety
ONLS Safety System
A comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) ensures the health and safety of employees. The SMS helps organizations proactively identify and control hazards. A workplace safety culture cannot be achieved without an effective SMS.
ONLS through AWARE-NS has developed a Safety Management System (SMS) of 13 elements, complete with program content, tools, templates and forms that will support the needs of ONLS. Each section will link back to the files section for required documentation and files.
Section 1: Commitment, Leadership, and Participation
Our Neighbourhood Living Society is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for its employees and preventing occupational illness and injury. To express that commitment, we issue the following policy on occupational health and safety.
The personal safety and health of each employee of ONLS is of primary importance. The prevention of occupationally induced injuries and illnesses is of such consequence that it will be given priority. To the greatest degree possible, management will provide all mechanical and physical items required for personal safety and health in keeping with the highest standards.
ONLS will maintain a safety and health program conforming to the best practices of organizations of this type. To be successful, such a program must start with proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention on the part of both supervisors and employees. It also requires cooperation in all safety and health matters, not only between supervisor and employee, but also between each employee and his or her colleagues. Only through such a cooperative effort, can a safety program be established and preserved in the best interest of all persons involved. ONLS’s objective is a safety and health program that will reduce the number of injuries and illnesses to an absolute minimum, not merely in keeping with, but surpassing, the best experience of organizations similar to ours, our goal is zero accidents and injuries.
Section 2: Hazard Management
Hazard management is a proactive process to identify hazards and eliminate or reduce the risk of injury and illness to workers and damage to property, equipment and the environment. By managing all hazards, employers demonstrate their commitment and due diligence to a healthy and safe workplace.
Hazard Management Process (RACE)
To effectively complete the Hazard Management Process it is best to use a team approach. In general, the team should consist of members who have a good working knowledge of the tasks being performed. Appropriate members for this team include the manager or supervisor who has direct responsibilities and any employee(s) who performs the type of task being evaluated. It may also include a member of the JOHSC.
The hazard management process includes the following four steps:
Step 1 – Hazard Identification:
Compiling an inventory of hazards (actual and potential).
Step 2 – Risk Assessment:
Rating and prioritizing the hazards.
Step 3 – Hazard Control:
Identifying controls presently in place and/or developing controls to be put in place to eliminate or reduce the impact of each hazard.
Step 4 – Evaluate:
Look at the controls that have been put in place to determine if they are reducing risk or if they have created new hazards or issues.
A helpful way to remember the Hazard Management Process is by using the acronym RACE:
RACE
Recognize the hazard.
Assess the hazard.
Control the hazard.
Evaluate the controls after implementation to determine if they are effective and do not cause additional hazard.