HomeMy WebLinkAboutPOL-019-23 Health & SafetyHealth and Safety Policy
The health and safety of each County of Newell Employee is of primary importance, and
therefore, the prevention of occupational inju r ies and illnesses will be given
"PRIORITY OVER OPERATING PRODUCTIVITY WHERE NECESSARY".
The County of Newell is committed to the health and safety of all employees , including t heir physical , psychological , and
socia l we ll -bei ng . To the greatest degree possible , management will provide a Health and Safety Management System that
conforms to Alberta 's Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Legis la tion and follows the best practices with in ou r industry .
In order to be successful , our system requires proper attitudes towards injury and illness preventio n and cooperation at all
levels in health and sa fety matters .
Our objective is to have a Health and Safety Management System that will reduce the number of inju ries and illnesses to
an absolu te minimum , no t mere ly in keeping with , but surpassing the best experience of municipalities similar to ours.
Our Hea lth and Safety Management System w ill involve:
• Educating employees on thei r individual O HS rights, roles, and responsibilities ;
• Providing safeguards to the maximum extent possible ;
■ Conducting inspections to find and eliminate unsafe working conditions and practices , control health hazards, and
comply fully with the health and safety standa rds for every job;
• Training all employees in good health and safety practices;
• Providing necessary pe rsonal protective equipment and instructio n for its use and care ;
• Deve loping and enforcing health and safety rules and requiring all employees to cooperate with these rules as a
conditio n of employment;
• Investigati ng every inc ident to determ ine the root causes so steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence;
• Man aging effective harassment and violence prevention plans ;
• Working with the Health and Safety Committee to ensure workers' v iews are heard and taken into consideration
regarding wo rkplace health and safety management; and ,
• Informing wo rkers of the health and safety issues that may affect them while performing their duties.
The County of Newell recognizes that th e responsibilities for health and safety are shared and that when everybody is
responsible for safety , t he cul t ures and attitudes that support it are strengthe ned . Although it is expected that everyone
employed or contracted by the County will comply with applicable legislat ion as well as the organization 's health and safety
di rectives , standards , and procedures , the following umbrella statements are the overarch in g concepts of the OHS
Management System within our organization .
• Managers are responsib le for leadership of the Hea lth and Safety Managemen t System , for its effectiveness and
improvement, and for providing the safeguards required to ensure safe conditio ns.
• Superv isors are responsible for developing the proper attitudes toward health and safety in themselves and in those
they supervise, and for ensuring that all operations are performed with the utmost regard for the health and safety of
all personne l in volved .
• Workers are responsible for wholehearted , genuine cooperat io n with all aspects of the OHS Management System ,
including compliance with all rules and regulations , and for adhering to safe work practices w hile performing their
duties.
• Contractors are responsible to ensure that any work site, process, or procedure under their control does not create a
risk to th e health and safet y of a ny person.
Signed :~~
MatthewFenke
Chief Administrative Officer
Date :