7120-8 Health and Safety Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of the Vanier College Health and Safety Policy is to convey the commitment of the College towards providing a safe and healthy learning and work environment to all members of its community.

2. Scope of application

This policy applies to all Vanier College employees, students, contractors, volunteers and visitors, engaged in activities on Vanier’s grounds, under the administrative control of Vanier, utilizing Vanier’s facilities and equipment, representing Vanier in outside events or training.

3. Definitions

Employee: A person who, under a contract of employment carries out work for the College.

Contractor: A person, partnership or group of persons who, through a contract, agreement or ownership, directs the activities of one or more employees involved in work within the College premises.

Legal Obligations: Any responsibility or duty set by Provincial or Federal Acts or Regulations and pertaining to the Health and Safety of the College Community members. This includes, among others, obligations set by:

Collective agreements
the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety and its Regulations
the Act Respecting Industrial Accidents and Occupational Diseases
the Criminal Code
the Civil Code
the Act Respecting Labour Standards
the Act Respecting Safety in Public Buildings
the Safety Code for the Construction Industry

Principal (Prime) Contractor: the College or any other person who, on a construction site, is responsible for the carrying out of all the work, including ensuring the compliance to health and safety laws and regulations.

Student: Person registered in a course at Vanier College, whether on the main campus or Field Station, in the course of their College-related activities.

Visitor: A person who is on the premises of the College and who is not an employee, a student, a contractor or a volunteer.

Volunteer: Person who carries out work for the College, without remuneration.

Vanier’s grounds: All Vanier College campuses, including rented and owned satellite locations.

4. Policy statements

4.01 Vanier College (“the College”) is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work and learning environment, in accordance with its legal obligations.

4.02 The College strives to recognize, evaluate and prevent and/or eliminate any foreseeable hazards and risks, which may result in accidents, property damage or personal injury or illness.

4.03 The College will reinforce health and safety prevention in all aspects of its planning and day-to-day operations.

4.04 Regular inspections of equipment and work areas will be conducted by the users to ensure a safe and proper work environment.

4.05 The college will ensure that safety procedures are up-to-date and that they are understood and followed. All work areas must be inspected a minimum of once a year.

4.06 The College will provide job-related information, instruction and training to all workers and to the members of the Vanier Community.

4.07 The college will communicate with the Vanier community or affected groups regarding events or situations on potentially harmful conditions.

4.08 Health and Safety concerns are to be investigated and hazards controlled in a timely manner.

4.09 The College expects employees, students, contractors and volunteers to be actively involved in making health and safety a priority and in fulfilling their responsibilities and legal obligations regarding health and safety.

4.10 The College will ensure adequate protective measures, procedures, equipment and training are provided, as required, in order to protect employees, students and volunteers’ health and safety at all times while on campus or on college duties.

4.11 All employees, students, contractors and volunteers must inform the College (Security 7575) and immediate supervisor of hazardous situations, risks to the health and safety of others, and accidents involving themselves or to which they have been witness

4.12 All employees, students, contractors and volunteers who engages or is responsible for activities involving Hazardous Materials and Waste or working with materials containing asbestos must comply with the current HazMat and asbestos procedures.

4.13 Anyone to whom this policy applies must request authorization from the Health and Safety Manager prior to acquiring any potentially hazardous material, chemical or equipment that is intended for use on campus grounds or within a college activity.

4.14 Health and Safety content and procedures are to be included in pedagogical activities whenever appropriate.

4.15 Regarding asbestos containing materials, the College will ensure remediation of asbestos containing materials that are labelled as priority intervention following best practices.

5. Roles and responsibilities

Anyone to whom this policy applies shares the responsibility of preventing accidents. Individuals that become aware of a hazard have a responsibility to promptly report it to the appropriate authority.

5.1. Rights and obligations of the College

The College reserves the rights to:

Adopt any regulations or guidelines deemed necessary to the application of the policy.
To take any appropriate measure or corrective actions to ensure that the policy and all deriving regulations, processes and guidelines are respected.
Use appropriate measures to prevent abusive use of any aspect of this policy, as outlined in the Code of Conduct, applicable Collective Agreement or contractual agreement.

The obligations of the College:

To ensure health and safety concerns are taken into account when planning new activities and in day-to-day operations, in a prevention perspective.
To receive and investigate hazards and health and safety complaints, and implementing corrective or preventive measures when appropriate.
To ensure all areas of the College are inspected regularly for health and safety hazards.
To ensure the availability of necessary personal protection equipment for employees.
To provide information, documentation and/or training on health and safety risks present in the College to individuals that may be exposed to them in the course of their duties.
To ensure the respect of regulations and guidelines derived from this policy.

5.2. Rights and obligations of employees and students

Rights:

To have a safe working and learning environment.
To be informed, trained and advised of risks that are inherent to their activities.
To have access to personal protection equipment required to ensure their health and safety.

Obligations:

To respect the policy and all associated regulations and guidelines.
To take the necessary actions to ensure their health and safety.
To see that they do not endanger the health, safety or physical well-being of others, at or near their working or learning area.
To participate and collaborate actively in the identification and elimination of the risk of accidents or occupational hazards within the College.
To ensure they do not use this policy in an abusive manner or in bad faith.

5.3. Rights and obligations of visitors

To respect the present policy and its supporting regulations, procedures and guidelines.
To take the necessary actions to ensure their health and safety.
Take the necessary measures to preserve the health and safety of all persons present on College premises, as well as to ensure the integrity of College property and environment.
To participate and collaborate actively in the identification and elimination of the risk of accidents or occupational hazards within the College.

6. Authority

6.01 This Policy is under the authority of the Director General.

7. Effective date

7.01 This policy will become effective upon adoption by the Board of Directors.