Created by Excalibur Consulting for SafetyON
The need for safety is a timeless and fundamental human right, and this goes doubly so for preventing any harm in the workplace. As a nation always on the front lines of human rights advocacy, Canada stepped up to the plate in 1978 with an Act of Parliament to truly enshrine the importance of diligence and preparedness in any occupation or industry. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Act (or commonly known as “CCOHS”) was unveiled to organize the crusade towards safety, equipping employees and employers alike with the tools, training and knowledge to work safely. A founding principal behind the CCOHS is the belief that all Canadians had “a fundamental right to a healthy and safe working environment", and there has been no change to that since. Modern workplaces are held responsible for ensuring all tiers of workers are made aware of any dangers that they might encounter during their employment. From high temperature safety, to proper handling and lifting techniques, there is a lot of work that requires specific methods to avoid injury or undue strain. Considering the plethora of dangers that one might encounter on site, it’s thankful that there’s a group whose responsibility is to keep things in check. Safety consultants, sort of the “cowboys of the CCOHS” if you will, are enlisted to ensure workplace health and safety policies, programs and procedures are current and followed to the letter. A safety consultant may work independently, or within a workplace as in house council. Either way, it is their charge to educate the workplace regarding the best practices, and provide ongoing instruction and supervision for protecting any workers. In recent years there has been a spike in the number of health and safety consultants operating in Canada. Which is no surprise considering the nearly paralleled growth seen by the rise of Canadian work programs and heavy industries. Not just limited to knowing how a workplace should run, health and safety consultants also have channels to report infractions and ensure that no employee is a victim of an unsafe situation. Just think the next time you’re in your workplace; “what are the hazards, and is everyone aware of them”. Then you’ll already be thinking like a safety consultant!
