Safety roles and responsibilities
Last updated: May 10, 2021
From deputy ministers to supervisors to front-line staff, we are all workers. We all have safety rights and responsibilities.
Contribute to a safe workplace by following safe work procedures, reporting unsafe conditions or incidents, and being prepared to respond to a workplace injury or emergency.
These are your roles and responsibilities:
- Understand your workplace health and safety requirements
- Inspect equipment and the workplace regularly
- Be alert for hazards
- Report unsafe work practices and conditions to your supervisor right away
- Report accidents, near misses, injuries and illnesses to your supervisor right away
- Follow safe work practices and procedures
- Cooperate with others to promote occupational safety and health
Safety rights
All workers have three safety rights:
The right to know
You have a right to know what hazards are present in the workplace, and to be given the information, training and supervision you need to protect yourself.
The right to participate
You have a right to participate in keeping your workplace healthy and safe. This may include selecting or being a health and safety representative or committee member. You also have a right to report unsafe conditions and practices.
The right to refuse unsafe work
You can refuse work that you think could be dangerous to yourself or your co-workers. Read about how to refuse unsafe work.
