Safety in the Workplace: Part 1 - Who is Responsible?
There are different schools of thought as to who should bear the responsibility for workplace safety. Some believe that the organization should take ownership of safety and ensure a safe working environment. Others think that individuals should hold the responsibility.
Within safety legislation, both sides come into consideration, though there is a greater emphasis on organizational responsibility. Different roles within the organization have different responsibilities for their own and for others safety in the workplace.
From region to region, there are a lot of similarities between the responsibilities assigned to each role in the workplace. It’s important to know who is responsible for what, and what ramifications can result from violations of these responsibilities.
Roles, rights and responsibilities of workplace safety
Everyone in the workplace has a role to play in health and safety. Depending on your position in the company, owner, employer, supervisor, or employee, your responsibilities differ. Those at the top of this hierarchy, the owners and employers, hold the most responsibility. They are legally required to protect their employees, as well as anyone else who may be affected by their business, such as customers, visitors, and contractors.
Supervisors have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace, provide relevant training and information, and to supervise work.
Workers have the responsibility to perform work in a safe manner and report unsafe conditions. Unlike the other groups, workers also have rights to workplace safety. They have the right to know about unsafe conditions in the workplace and to refuse unsafe work.
Image from: Occupational Safety Group Inc. (OSG)
Governments also hold some responsibility for workplace safety. For example, the OHS Legislation in Canada outlines that the government’s role includes responsibilities such as enforcement of OHS legislation, inspections and investigations, and the promotion of safety training, education, and research. They also hold the authority when it comes to settling OHS disputes.
What happens when safety responsibilities are not followed?
From a legal standpoint, ramifications for not following safety procedures can include fines and jail time for the individuals involved and fines for the organization. In 2018, there were over 900 convictions under OSHA, with related fines totalling $12.6 million. Individuals can see fines ranging from $250-650 on-the-spot fines to up to $100,000 fines and/or up to 12 months in jail as a result of court proceedings. Fines for corporations can reach up to $1.5 million.
In recent news, health and safety has come to include COVID considerations. For COVID violations, businesses have frequently seen fines in the tens of thousands, but in some cases these fines have increased astronomically to be over $100,000 to north of $250,000.
Depending on what happens as a result of a safety incident, such as injury or death of an employee, there can be additional impacts to the business as well. For more information about the resulting consequences of a workplace accident, see our series on the impact of an electrical incident in the workplace.
Next week we will review how you can work with your organization and your team tocreate a culture of safety for your business.