Refusing Unsafe Work

 Policy Statement and Procedures

All workers at Northern Lights College regardless of position have the right to refuse what they perceive as unsafe work. Any worker may request an onsite safety inspection by the Manager, Safety and Facilities Services and a representative of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC). The following procedure must be followed when refusing suspected unsafe work (Note: this policy does not pertain to a near miss incident)

  1. Halt the task or duty
  2. Orally report the task or job to the immediate supervisor.
  3. The supervisor will investigate and correct if necessary the unsafe conditions as per WorkSafeBC Regulation 3.12 3a.
  4. If necessary the supervisor will consult with the Manager, Safety and Facilities Services and a worker representative from the JOHSC to determine the best course of action for correction.
  5. The supervisor will then send an email report to the Manager, Safety and Facilities Services detailing the unsafe condition, the process of correction and completion time.
  6. The Manager, Safety and Facilities Services will copy the report to the JOHSC
  7. If the corrective action will take longer than a normal shift or require extensive engineering controls, the supervisor will inform the Manager, Safety and Facilities Services and the appropriate supervisor or manager via email the unsafe condition, outlined needs, expected time of completion.

If the supervisor determines that the task or duty was not being carried out under unsafe circumstances or conditions the supervisor will inform the worker and then send an email to the Manager, Safety and Facilities Services detailing the initial report of unsafe action and the process of deciding safety.
Once corrective action has been carried out the worker may examine the situation and decide that s/he may not want to continue working under the circumstances. If the worker does not want to continue to work in the environment that s/he perceives as unsafe then the procedure for unsafe work investigation outlined in this policy will take effect.

Additional Links: 

Investigation Procedures and Guidelines

-- Created June 2007 | Revised June 2008, December 2013 | Review Date December 2014 ----