OCAD University
PA-15: Workplace Health and Safety

OCAD University's informal environmental health and safety management program has many of the key components associated with a formal OHSMS, including leadership and commitment, workplace inspections, incident reporting and investigations, hazard identification and control, employee training, safe work procedures, and a joint health and safety committee. The Occupational Health and Safety Act places the onus for compliance with legislation on the workplace parties within an organization. The Act lists responsibilities for employers, directors, officers, supervisors and workers forming the Internal Responsibility System (IRS). The IRS provides the basis for an effective OHSMS that enables the University to be proactive on health and safety matters. Its success depends on cooperation, consultation and a common interest in a safe and healthy workplace.

OCAD University's EHS program supports the management of Environment, Health and Safety by ensuring:
- Maintenance and implementation of a policy on Health and Safety
- Compliance with environment, health and safety legislation
- Provision of centralized Environment, Health and Safety programs, standards, policies/procedures and services
- Guidance to faculty/department Environment, Health and Safety programs
- Monitoring and auditing of OCAD U health and safety programs, procedures and policies
- Support for the activities of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
- The University has a general duty to "take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker" (Occupational Health and Safety Act).

Incidents of workplace related injury or ill health can be reported by different parties on campus to EHS, this includes Security, Department Supervisor, and Employee. Incidents of work-related injury that are reported and attended to by Security are recorded in a Program called iTrak. A report will be generated and sent to the appropriate personnel including EHS. EHS will conduct the appropriate investigation and an Incident & Investigation Report Form is completed by the supervisor of the area where the incident took place. The completed form is sent to EHS and the details of EHS's investigation is included on this form and with the recommended safety protocols/measures that are to be implemented. This form is found on the Safety, Security & Campus Operations website here: https://www.ocadu.ca/sites/default/files/Incident%20Investigation%20fillable%20form1.pdf.
The monthly incidents are reported through the Joint Health and Safety Committee and are tracked by the EHS team.
EHS will work with the department where the incident took place to implement the appropriate control measures to ensure the incident would not occur again.

The annual number of recordable incidents of work-related injury or ill health was calculated by averaging the number of incidents for 2020, 2021 and 2022. The incidents during the years of 2020 and 2021 were lower due to the COVID-19 pandemic and campus being shut down and the number of individuals on campus was very low.

The FTE reflects an average of the number of FTE employees during the three years for which you provided work-related injury data (2020, 2021, and 2022)