Worker Rights and Safety

The 3 Rights of Every worker and Things You Should Know

Intro

As you can imagine, safety in the workplace is incredibly important. There are tools in our shops and classes which can be dangerous by themselves in a controlled environment, let alone in a dynamic one such as in a job site with other ongoing distractions and factors. Being aware of not only how to be safe, but what rights you have as well as who takes care of enforcing them is important. Were you aware that there is a significant body of legislation to enable you to be safe and to protect you from exploitation or risk? Please, reach out to your instructor, your school board, or organizations who uphold and enforce things like the Employment Standards Act, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act such as the Ministry of Labour.

Today we’re going to take a look into not only what you should know, but also how you can access the resources available to you. Please treat the concepts of safety both for the worker and on the work place, as ongoing and developing fields. Participate and educate yourself as often as possible, because not only will standards/supports change, but the research itself will adjust as time goes by.

NOT JUST A STATISTIC

Too often when we approach things like safety we tend towards putting forward statistics - which makes sense, as the numbers can be particularly scary. However, in reading those numbers we should really try to consider not the number the individual lives and experiences those numbers represent. A story about an injury is impactful, certainly, but it seems often more “real” to us when we know the person involved or can put a face to their difficulties.

The video here by CLAC documents 5 stories of workplace injuries which are real. Please give them some time and attention, as these interviews reflect not a statistic, but a real experience of the impacts for everyone involved. Be warned, the video deals with and presents content which viewers may struggle with watching due to the graphic nature of the content.

Young Worker Awareness Program

The Young Worker Awareness Program created a series of four videos here explore workers’ rights. They talk about the host’s late brother David Ellis, a young man who didn’t even live long enough on the job to receive his first paycheque before he died in a tragic and completely preventable workplace incident. The tragedy of David’s death on his second day of the job is one we can however (thankfully) learn from with hopes that it would never be repeated.

A FEW Stats

Please consider the following stats according to Ontario.ca, and when you read them try not to see the numbers as just arbitrary, but rather see them as people just like David:

• Every year, more than 6,000 young workers across Ontario are injured seriously enough to need time off work; that’s equivalent to nearly 17 Ontario youth a day.

• There were 17 young worker fatalities (15 to 24 years old) from 2010 to 2015.

• Ontario is one of only a few places in the world to require occupational health and safety education in schools. It is part of the curriculum from kindergarten to Grade 12.

• The Ministry of Labour has conducted a new and young worker health and safety blitz annually for years.

THE THREE RIGHTS OF EVERY WORKER

These videos explore the three critical worker’s rights you have in the workplace:

1. The Right to Know

   Every worker has the right to know and understand workplace health and safety standards. Not only do you have a right to know, your employer has legal responsibilities to ensure you are trained and equipped appropriately. Your employer is required to organize Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC) which you should be able to participate in, or be actively informed by. They also have the requirement to follow strict WHMIS protocols including detailed labels, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and training.

2. The Right to Participate

   You do not have to be a bystander when it comes to the development of safety protocols, or to be supported effectively by your JHSC. Your employer is obligated to recognize your right to be aware and involved in the development of workplace-related safety procedures, the safety testing of new equipment and materials, and any workplace-related training. Your concerns as submitted through JHSC’s have legal requirements to be responded to in writing by the employer within 21 days.

3. The Right to Refuse

   
   All workers have the right to refuse work if they believe that it endangers their health and safety. Though you cannot just stop working without telling your employer/supervisor, should you feel unsafe on the workplace, you have the right to refuse work until you are satisfied that it is not dangerous. If your supervisor/employer investigates and determines it to be safe that doesn’t mean that you have to agree, you have the right to insist that the Ministry of Labour investigate and ensure that you are being asked to do something which is safe for you to be doing, that you are adequately trained, supported with the proper equipment, etc.

   The Ministry of Labour has requirements for safety standards posters and materials to be actively updated and displayed on the workplace once a business satisfies specific requirements such as the Health & Safety at Work poster.
   

   For more information or points of contact please see the links at the bottom of the page.

Conclusion

Safety standards, the bodies of legislation surrounding worker rights, and the contextual application of these concepts are all dynamic, intertwined, and evolving constantly. While this may reflect current information at the time of this being written, you should always refer back to the sources themselves directly to find the most up-to-date information. Please continue to actively pursue the latest research to support your safety and the safety of others through taking a look at organizations/resources such as these:

MINISTRY OF LABOUR
YOUNG WORKERS AWARENESS PROGRAM
MENTAL HARM PREVENTION ROADMAP
WORKSPACE SAFETY AND PREVENTION SERVICES
ONTARIO.CA WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
WSIB
CLAC
WORKERS HEALTH AND SAFETY CENTRE
IHSA
OCSB

Assignment

Choose a Workplace Safety topic from the list provided on this site: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/

On your own (or with a partner) create a 2-3 minute presentation to share with the class.  Your goal is to educate other on your topic to help everyone stay safe when working or volunteering.