Background

The Division believes in providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, students, and volunteers and to provide and maintain a safe and healthy environment for the general public.

Definitions

“Occupational Health” refers to those programs or activities that deal with the interrelationships of employee health and their occupations.

“Occupational Safety” refers to those programs or activities that minimize the chemical, physical, biological and other hazard potentials that may exist on the work site.

“A Division” is an area of jurisdiction within NLSD identified as departments and schools.

“Senior Administration” refers to those persons responsible for the overall administration of the education jurisdiction, including the Superintendent of Schools and the Assistant Superintendents.

“Management” refers to those persons who are responsible for a division of the education jurisdiction, including principals, directors, managers, and their respective assistants.

“Supervisors/Coordinators” refers to those persons who are responsible for consulting on or coordinating the activities within a program area, including supervisors, coordinators, foremen, lead hands, unit leaders, etc.

“Staff” refers to those persons with non-supervisory responsibilities, including teachers, secretaries, caretakers, facilities staff, student transportation staff, etc.

Guidelines

The intent of this administrative procedure is to:

1. protect the employees of Northern Lights School Division from health and safety hazards;
2. ensure the provision of first aid and medical monitoring services;
3. assist in the rehabilitation of the ill and injured;
4. encourage and assist the promotion of personal health and safety.

Procedures

1. Senior Administration is responsible for:
   
   1. Ensuring that the Occupational Health and Safety program is implemented throughout all divisions within the school jurisdiction;
   2. Ensuring that this administrative procedure is reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
2. Management/Principals are responsible for:
   
   1. ensuring the development and maintenance of divisional health and safety procedures consistent with Occupational Health and Safety administrative procedures and appropriate to division operations;
   2. ensuring that employees are aware of all health and safety procedures and rules;
   3. ensuring the reporting and investigation of all accidents and relevant incidents;
   4. ensuring the application of divisional health and safety procedures through delegation of responsibility to all supervisory staff within their areas of operation.
3. Supervisors/Coordinators are responsible for:
   
   1. apply the divisional health and safety program to the operation of their area of responsibility.
   2. be aware of all relevant health and safety legislation, rules and procedures.
4. Staff are responsible for:
   
   1. taking reasonable care to protect their own health and safety and all others present at the work site;
   2. being aware of all relevant health and safety legislation, rules and procedures.
5. The Coordinator, Occupational Health and Safety is responsible for:
   
   1. assist and advise divisions on the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety procedures;
   2. advise divisions on the effectiveness and efficiency of their Occupational Health and Safety programs;
   3. design and present training relevant to all essential areas of health and safety programs;
   4. complete an annual review and update of Occupational Health and Safety procedures to ensure compliance with all health and safety legislation;
   5. monitor Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) claims to ensure that the optimal WCB assessment rates and minimal claims costs are achieved.
6. Right of Entry and Stop Work Authority
   1. Authority is delegated to Occupational Health and Safety supervisor/coordinator to enter all school jurisdiction work sites for the purposes of health and safety inspection and,
   2. To stop work on work sites where conditions exist which pose an immediate danger to life and health until such time as modifications are made to remedy these conditions.
7. The detailed specific responsibilities, procedures and instructions to implement this administrative procedure are contained in the Northern Lights School Division Occupational Health and Safety Procedures Manual.