This section pertains to all workers on any Northern Lights College site.
Northern Lights College is responsible for supervising instructors and ensuring that instructors provide supervision to students. Since a large number of students fall under the worker designation according to the WCA Northern Lights College is responsible for ensuring adequate supervision of the students.
Excerpt from Workers’ Compensation Act:
General duties of supervisors
117 (1) Every supervisor must
(a) ensure the health and safety of all workers under the direct supervision of the supervisor,
(b) be knowledgeable about this Part and those regulations applicable to the work being supervised, and
(c) comply with this Part, the regulations and any applicable orders.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a supervisor must
(a) ensure that the workers under his or her direct supervision
(i) are made aware of all known or reasonably foreseeable health or safety hazards in the area where they work, and
(ii) comply with this Part, the regulations and any applicable orders,
*Northern Lights College is responsible for ensuring the employee understands their responsibility, and for supervising all instructors. All employees will understand that their duties and/or tasks will be subject to spot monitoring without warning to ensure compliance with Northern Lights College Policies and Procedures and the WorkSafeBC Occupational Health and Safety regulation.
Supervisor Responsibilities
Northern Lights College recognizes the need for supervision of employees according to the Act. To this end Northern Lights College will provide proper supervision of its employees to ensure their health and safety is the first and foremost concern. The supervisors act on behalf of NLC. Therefore supervisors are responsible for:
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Ensuring that workers use prescribed protective equipment devices
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Ensuring workers follow safe work procedures at all times and if necessary recommend remedial training
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Ensuring compliance of all subordinate workers with the WorkSafeBC OHSR and NLC Safety Program
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Advising workers of potential and actual hazards
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Taking every reasonable precaution in the circumstances for the protection of workers.
Classroom supervision
Direct supervision: This generally means that a qualified person is immediately available for support/consultation and is typically required for untrained persons. Direct supervision is required for classes as they learn new equipment and the rules for conduct during the course.
Supervision can be less direct as the class gains competency and demonstrates appropriate conduct. However, this will not be accepted as an excuse to be absent from the classroom for any reason other than bathroom breaks.
Unless already available instructors may be required to create task, tool or procedure specific safe work procedures.
Note: while supervision activity may be less, instructional observation cannot wane, particularly as student hone their critical thinking skills during situation practical exercises.
Instructors should be present in the classroom for the majority of the class, especially during practical skill sessions, directly supervising the students. A number of the classes conducted at the Northern Lights College do not necessarily have activities that would pose a risk to students. However, there are many classes that do such as Carpentry, Welding and AME to name a few.
Leaving the classroom, talking on cell phones, having meetings or conversations with visitors during class interferes with instructors’ responsibility to ensure the health and safety of the students.
-- Created June 2007 | Revised June 2010, 2011, 2013|Review Date June 2014 -----