What are roles and responsibilities?
Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) workers and employers share responsibility for occupational health and safety. This concept of an internal responsibility system is based on the principle that workplace parties are in the best position to identify health and safety problems and to develop solutions.

What the law says
Employers have the most responsibility for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace and must

• keep a safe and well-maintained workplace
• provide hazard information, proper safety equipment, training and competent supervision
• have worker representation for health and safety
• follow proper procedures in case of injury

Supervisors have responsibility to provide

• a safe workplace and assign safe work
• training and information
• supervision

Workers have the right to

• know about any unsafe conditions or hazardous materials used in the workplace
• participate in making their workplace safe
• refuse unsafe work

Workers also have responsibility to

• work safely and not take risks
• report unsafe conditions
• wear the right safety equipment for the job
• ask their employers about concerns regarding health and safety

Joint health and safety committee members and health and safety representatives also have roles to play in the workplace.

How a properly functioning internal responsibility system can help your business
Ideally, the internal responsibility system involves everyone in health and safety, from the company chief executive officer to the worker.  How well the system works depends upon whether there is a complete, unbroken chain of responsibility and accountability for health and safety.  Safe work contributes to efficiency, profitability and lower WSIB premiums.

What you can do
Employers can take action in support of roles and responsibilities in many ways

• Make sure that health and safety responsibilities are built into each person’s job description
• Make sure that workers have proper safety equipment and are trained to use it safely
• Make sure supervisors and workers are aware of any known hazards in the work and that supervisors are competent (e.g. that they understand the Occupational Health and Safety Act and are prepared to ensure the work is carried out safely).
• Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers.
• In a workplace with more than five workers, have a written health and safety policy and program and post the policy where everyone can read it.
• Establish a fully-functioning joint health and safety committee (or health and safety representative where required)
• Post the names and work locations of health and safety committee members or the worker representative where it can be seen.