Lakehead University
PA-12: Workplace Health and Safety

The baseline was adopted for the purpose of this assessment. HR has been tracking this data without officially adopting a baseline.

POLICY CATEGORY: Health and Safety APPROVED BY: Board of Governors EFFECTIVE DATE: December 4, 1997 [Revised January 2004; February 2005; 29 June 2007; 16 April 2010; 1 Feb 2013] The Board of Governors of Lakehead University recognizes and accepts its overall responsibility for the occupational health and safety of workers, and for the safety of students and visitors. The Board is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work and study environment for all University constituents, while upholding the principles of value of dignity, independence, access and equity. This objective will be ranked equally with other organizational goals. Management is responsible for achieving this objective through the application of acceptable industry standards and pertinent legislative requirements to the design, implementation and monitoring of appropriate health and safety programs, and through the allocation of sufficient resources to meet the objective. The University and its employees are jointly responsible for compliance with and enforcement of the legislation, standards, and programs. The University and its employees will take all appropriate measures to prevent accidents, occupational illnesses and injuries. Deans, directors, chairs, research supervisors, managers and supervisors are directly responsible for the safety of employees, students and visitors who work and study within their areas of jurisdiction, and for compliance with the legislation, standards and programs. All employees are responsible for complying with the legislation, standards and programs, and with the instructions of their supervisors. All employees are responsible for working safely, and for reporting all unsafe and unhealthy conditions to their immediate supervisors, in the interest of their own health and safety and that of other employees, students and visitors. All employees will be held individually accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities. Accountability with respect to health and safety will be evaluated by measuring job performance against established health and safety standards. Appropriate action will be taken against any employee who fails to meet his or her obligations concerning health and safety. Students, though not covered by the Occupational Health & Safety Act or its regulations, are required to adhere to all University policies and procedures relating to health and safety. Students who fail to meet their responsibilities with respect to health and safety may face sanctions under the Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures. In addition, all individuals who are not employees of the University, but who perform duties for the University, with or without remuneration, are required to adhere to all applicable legislation and standards, and to all University policies and procedures relating to health and safety. A report summarizing health and safety activities at the University will be submitted to the Board twice annually. This policy will be reviewed annually by the Vice-President (Administration & Finance) and the results of this review will be reported to the Operations Committee of the Board of Governors.