PRACTICE

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
AND HEALTH POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES
PREPARE OSH REQUIREMENTS FOR
COMPLIANCE
Occupational Health and Safety Tips

Workplace safety is an important part of any job and requires that everyone
in the company adhere to the safety guidelines and policies in place.
Carefully following appropriate safety guidelines can go a long way toward
preventing workplace injuries. Here are some ways you can work to stay
safe on the job.
Be Aware

Always be alert to what’s happening in your surroundings; remember

that your safety is your responsibility. Understand the particular hazards
related to your job or workplace, and keep clear of potentially hazardous
areas or situations. Be awake and attentive on the job, and be particularly
aware of machinery. Avoid going to work under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, which can compromise your concentration, coordination,
judgment, motor control and alertness.
Maintain Correct Posture

Use correct posture to protect your back while at work. If you sit at a desk, keep your
shoulders and hips in line and avoid hunching over. Use correct form when lifting
objects and avoid twisting and stooping. The following tips provide information about
lifting correctly:
•Use both hands to lift or carry a heavy object.
•Adopt a proper lifting stance by putting the strain on your legs, keeping your back
straight and not bending at the waist.
•Wear a back brace for heavy work.
•Test the weight before picking up the item.
•Lift items smoothly and slowly.
•Move your feet instead of your back when traveling or turning with a heavy object.
•Hold the load close to your body.
•Ask for help to move loads that are too heavy for you.
Take Breaks Regularly

Feeling tired and burned out makes you less likely to be aware of your
surroundings and is a common cause of workplace injuries. Regular breaks
help you stay fresh and alert on the job. It is particularly important to take
short breaks when you have a task that requires repetitive movements over a
long period of time.
Use Equipment Properly
Always take the proper precautions when operating machinery or
using tools. Taking shortcuts is a leading cause of workplace
injuries. Use the appropriate tool for the job, and use it in the
right way. When using tools and machinery, put safety first with
the following tips:
•Only use machinery you are trained and authorized to use.
•Keep tools clean and in good working order.
•Organize tools and always return them to their proper place.
•Make sure the machine operator sees you, don’t approach from a blind spot
or from behind.
•Only perform tasks you have been properly trained to perform.
•Never leave machinery unattended while it is running.
•Always obey operating instructions.
•Never remove or tamper with safety guards.
•If something seems wrong, immediately stop the machine and get assistance.
•Communicate with those around you.
•Never walk in front of heavy equipment.
•Read and follow all labels and instructions.
•Don’t tamper with hazardous items, including cords, switches and electric
controls.
•Wear appropriate and compact clothing; loose, billowing clothing and
accessories can easily get caught in moving parts.
•Never place fingers or other objects into moving machinery.
•Turn off equipment before moving, cleaning, adjusting, oiling or un-
jamming.
Locate Emergency Exits
Always know where emergency exits are located and keep the path to them clear.
You should also have clear access to emergency shutoffs on machinery.

Report Safety Concerns

If you notice a potential safety hazard or risk, report it to your supervisor
immediately so they can address the situation. Keep communication lines open
and work as a team to create a safe working environment.
Practice Effective Housekeeping

Maintain a clean and organized workplace environment. Make housekeeping an ongoing project that
everyone is involved in and keep these tips in mind:

•Prevent trips, slips and falls by keeping all floors clean and dry.
•Eliminate fire hazards by removing combustible materials and storing flammable materials away from
sources of ignition.
•Control dust accumulation.
•Avoid tracking materials and cross contamination by keeping mats clean and having separate cleaning
protocols for different areas.
•Use appropriate procedures to prevent falling objects.
•Keep the workplace clutter free.
•Store all materials and equipment properly.
•Regularly inspect tools and personal protective equipment to make sure they are in good working
order.
Make Use of Mechanical Aids
Take the extra time to obtain a wheelbarrow, crank,
conveyor belt, forklift or other mechanical aid to assist
you in lifting heavy objects. Attempting to lift something
that is too heavy can cause injuries that could have been
avoided.

Reduce Workplace Stress

Stress can contribute to difficulty concentrating and
depression, which make it hard to be alert at work. There
are many causes of stress at work including conflicts with
others, heavy workloads, long hours and job insecurity. If
you are experiencing workplace stress, talk to your
supervisor about ways to address your concerns
Use Appropriate Safety Equipment

It is important to use the proper safety equipment for a task to help protect yourself from
injury:

•Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for your job.

•Know the location of fire extinguishers and first aid kits.
•Use a hard hat if there is a risk of falling objects.
•Wear gloves when handling toxic substances or sharp objects.
•Wear goggles when there is a hazard to your eyes.
•Use safety harnesses if there is a danger of falling.
•Wear non-skid shoes when working on slippery surfaces or lifting heavy objects.
•Wear a breathing mask.
•Use all protective equipment intended for your task including seat belts, protective headgear
or clothing and safety glasses.
Awareness Is Safety
A safe workplace is an efficient workplace. When the proper safety
protections are in place, workers feel safe doing their job, are more
productive, are more likely to take personal accountability and be
engaged in work. Having a safe workplace is an ongoing process which
involves a culture of safety, safety awareness, as well as safe practices
and procedures. Safety awareness is a constant realization that every
worker should have at all times. It involves being constantly aware of
how they are working, and being able to recognize the hazards they
face. Safety awareness is absolutely essential in mitigating safety-
related risks
WHIMIS / GHS HAZARD AWARENESS

All over the world, different countries have similar

safety systems to help with worker awareness, but
with the advent of globalization a universal system
has been introduced. This system,
called WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials
Information System)was developed in response to
the workers’ rights to know about the potential
hazards with any chemical substance they use at
work. In a global effort to ensure safe use,
transportation, and disposal of dangerous
chemicals, an internationally harmonized approach
to classification and labeling was proposed.
 FALL PROTECTION & WORKER AWARENESS

While risks posed by hazardous workplace

materials must be mitigated, they are not the
only hazards faced by workers. Falls are a major
cause of injury and death in Ontario workplaces.
The vast majority of these serious accidents are
falls from heights—even though the height may be
no more than two or three meters. Most of these
injuries and deaths have happened because fall
protection was either missing or not used. In
Ontario, employers are required to provide
workers with working at heights and fall-
protection training if the workers will be exposed
to fall hazards. Working at height training
provides workers with knowledge and trains them
to be constantly aware of the safety risks, and
work in a manner which reduces the likelihood as
much as possible.
CONFINED SPACE AWARENESS

Does your workplace or job site currently have

any threats to
Another safety risk which employees must be
aware of is the risks associated with working
in confined spaces. Confined spaces are
potentially hazardous because they are difficult to
enter into, wor in, or exit from them. Employees
working in such environments can face greater risk
of entrapment, engulfment, and hazardous
atmospheric conditions. When somebody works in
such conditions, safety awareness is of paramount
importance. Employers have considerable
responsibilities to ensure worker safety.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKER SAFETY

The safety of workers in the workplace

should always take priority. You need
your workers to stay safe and able to
perform their duties, so you have to
ensure that the environment you put
them in, is one which is safe enough
for them to function in. Ensuring
worker safety means creating a safe,
efficient, positive workplace where
employees are able to focus on
productivity.
There are certain programs you must
implement and focus on if you want to
encourage an ideal safe environment
for your workers.
The elements of the safety programs include the following:

•Communication and involvement between the employer and the

employee in relation to safety and health issues in the workplace.
•A copy of the company’s employee safety and health policy.
•Encouragement of employee involvement in policy-making for health
and safety issues.
•Participation in safety activities.
•Regular and timely analysis of workplace conditions in an effort to
identify and eliminate potential or existing hazards.
•Ensuring the employees are aware of the hazard analysis for each job
and process.
•Ensuring that workers are aware of how to operate and maintain
their personal protective gear.
•Training workers to handle specific situations using the proper
procedures.
•Only allowing people who are authorized and instructed to do
certain jobs, to actually do them.
•Employees should be prepared with emergency drills.
•Ensuring that you focus on the employees that are learning new
operations in the workplace, so that you know if they have all the
necessary job skills and hazard awareness.
•Training managers and supervisor to spot hazards and understand
what their responsibilities are in relation to them.
A safe workplace is crucial and ensuring that you have
the right safety procedures and policies for things such
as working at heights, first aid CPR, confined space
entry, as well as things like WHMIS-GHS can create a
great work environment that is safe and productive.
Since Advanced Consulting and Training Ltd.’s founding,
their diverse team of certified health and safety
professionals have taken great pride in their ability to
deliver prompt, cost-effective and relevant workplace
health and safety solutions.