1. What are my safety and health rights?
As a worker, you have the right to know about safety and health in your workplace and the right to participate in safetyand health activities in your workplace. This can include safety and health questions and concerns, attending training fromyour employer and courses provided by SAFE Work Manitoba as well as other safety and health training as required.
If you’ve been asked to do something that you believe may endanger you or your co-workers, or you have not beenadequately trained to perform a task safely, you have the right to refuse to do the work. The Workplace Safety and HealthAct allows you to legally refuse work you believe to be dangerous and protects you from reprisal by youremployer for refusing. The employer must inspect the danger and ensure any tasks are safe to perform.
2. What are my safety and health responsibilities?
The law requires you to take reasonable care to protect your own safety and health and that of other workers. It is yourresponsibility to co-operate with your employer and follow all the rules and policies. Once you’ve been properly trainedto do a job, you must ensure you do it safely and wear the required protective equipment at all times. It is also yourresponsibility to report any hazardous conditions that you see to your supervisor.
3. Who do I ask if I have a health or safety question?
The first person to ask about safety and health on the job should always be your employer or supervisor, since theyknow your workplace best. As part of your safety and health orientation, your employer must provide you with yoursupervisor’s name and contact information and make sure you are supervised by someone who knows how to do the jobsafely until you can do the job safely.
Some jobs may look easy, but until you’re completely trained, it can be dangerous to go ahead on your own. Your employerand supervisor are required to make sure you have learned everything you need to know to perform a task safely beforeyou do a job on your own. Be sure to follow instructions and not perform tasks on your own when not approved to do so.
You can also talk to someone on the safety and health committee or the worker representative, if these exist. Workplaceswith 20 or more workers must have a safety and health committee with meetings held at least quarterly. If the workplacehas five to 19 workers, there must be a worker representative who you can go to if you have concerns. The companysafety and health bulletin board should post information such as who knows first aid, the minutes from the health andsafety committee meetings and any other relevant information.
4. What are the company’s safety and health procedures and rules?
Every company is required to have safety and health policies and rules. It is your employer’s responsibility to set thesestandards and make sure you know about them when you begin your job. It is your responsibility to learn and followthem. As part of your safety and health orientation, your employer must provide you with the procedures for reportingunsafe work in the workplace, how to refuse dangerous work, safety and health policies and programs (e.g., trainingplan, working alone or in isolation, violence and harassment prevention, incident investigation, workplace safety andhealth program – if 20 or more employees) and any safe work procedures for the specifc tasks you will be performing.
5. What are the hazards of my job and how will I be protected?
Manitoba’s health and safety laws require your employer to inform you of any workplace hazards. This may include suchthings as exposure to chemicals, potentially dangerous equipment, excess noise and situations where you may have towork at a height. The employer must provide you with information on how you will be kept safe from these hazards andyou must take the steps the employer has provided to prevent injuries.
6. Do I need to wear safety gear and when will I be shown how to use it?
The law requires your employer to provide, and make sure that you use, appropriate safety equipment when and whereit’s necessary. Your employer is also required to make sure that you’re trained in how to use this equipment properly.For some equipment, such as safety footwear, your employer can ask you to bring your own as a condition ofemployment. Ask if you’re not sure. It is your responsibility to wear the required equipment and use it properly.
7. What do I do if I get hurt? Who is the first aid person?
All workplaces must have a first aid kit; the type depends on the number of workers, how hazardous the work is and thelocation of the workplace. Most workplaces are required to have employees who are trained in first aid. The employermust let you know who can provide first aid in case you ever need their help and where the first aid kits and eyewashfacilities are located. This information should be posted on the safety and health bulletin board.
8. Is this workplace covered by workers compensation?
If you do get injured and require first aid, you are required by law to report the injury to your employer as soon aspossible. If you are injured at work, you should also report it to The Workers Compensation Board (WCB). They have aphone-in claims centre: call 204-954-4100 in Winnipeg, or toll free at 1-855-954-4321. If you see doctors or other healthcare professionals because of the injury, they must report the workplace injury to the WCB.
9. When will I be trained in emergency procedures? Where is the emergency equipment located?
Before you start work and during your safety orientation, your employer must tell you about the emergency proceduresyou need to follow to protect yourself in situations such as a fire or a chemical spill. You must be informed on topicssuch as how to exit the building, where to go if you have an injury and what to do when you encounter an emergencysituation. In the case of an emergency situation, you should be informed about the locations of fire extinguishers, as wellas instructions on how to use a fire extinguisher and any special equipment required to respond to emergencies thatcould arise in your workplace.
10. Are there any prohibited or restricted areas or activities in this workplace?
For your safety, certain areas, equipment and work activities may be off-limits in the workplace. Your employer isrequired to inform you about these areas, equipment and work activities, so that you have the knowledge to protectyourself from injury.
11. Is there anything else I need to know about safety and health in this workplace?
In addition to these questions, which employers are required to address in your safety and health orientation, they mustlet you know of any other matters relating to your safety and health on the job. If you think there may be more to know,don’t wait, ASK your supervisor!If you have questions or concerns that your employer hasn’t answered, you can contact 204-957-SAFE (7233),or toll free at 1-855-957-SAFE (7233) to fnd out more information about workplace safety and health, or visit:safemanitoba.com (SAFE Work Manitoba).
