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Board Policy #540.0 Health and Safety – Employees (Workers)

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1. Policy Statement

The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) endeavours to provide and maintain a safe and healthy working environment that supports the well-being of workers.    

2. Application

As workplace health and safety is a joint responsibility, the YRDSB and all of its workers are to act in compliance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Therefore, this policy applies to workers of the YRDSB.

3. Responsibilities

3.1 The Board of Trustees is responsible for:

1. understanding and upholding the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy; and
2. reviewing the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy on an annual basis, in accordance with the priorities in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

3.2 The Director of Education is responsible for:

1. implementing and operationalizing the Health and Safety – Employees (Workers) policy;
2. ensuring every precaution reasonable in the circumstances is taken for the protection of a worker;
3. ensuring all workers, through supervisors are provided with ongoing information and training on safe work practices;
4. ensuring information, procedures and required training for workers are developed in consultation with the multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee; and
5. ensuring the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy and procedure and information required to be posted pursuant to OHSA is readily accessible to workers.

3.3 Associate Directors, Coordinating Superintendents and Superintendents are responsible for:

1. supporting the implementation of the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy and procedure.

3.4 Supervisors are responsible for:

1. ensuring workers comply with the health and safety policy, procedures and programs;
2. taking every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of an worker by informing workers of hazard(s) in the workplace, investigating and acting upon concerns brought forward by employees, and taking prompt corrective action should a health and safety concern arise;
3. ensuring workers are provided with ongoing information and training in safe work practices; and
4. ensuring the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy and procedure is posted in their workplace.

3.5 Workers are responsible for:

1. immediately reporting to their supervisor any health and safety concerns of which they become aware; and
2. making health and safety a part of their daily activity and work routine.

4. Definitions

4.1 Critical Injury

“Critically injured” means an injury of a serious nature that,

1. places life in jeopardy,
2. produces unconsciousness,
3. results in substantial loss of blood,
4. involves the fracture of a leg or arm but not a finger or toe,
5. involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand, or foot but not a finger or toe,
6. consists of burns to a major portion of the body, or
7. causes the loss of sight in an eye. O. Reg. 420/21.

4.2 Worker

A worker under the Occupational Health and Safety Act means any of the following:

1. a person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation;
2. a secondary school student who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a work experience program authorized by the school board that operates in the school in which the student is enrolled;
3. a person who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology, university, or other post- secondary institution; or
4. such other persons as may be prescribed who perform work or supply services to an employer for no monetary compensation.

4.3 Supervisor

Defined under the Occupational Health and Safety Act as a person who has charge of a workplace or authority over a worker. Examples of supervisors in the YRDSB include superintendents, principals, vice-principals, managers, as well as those with the specific title of supervisor.

4.4 Workplace Violence

Workplace violence is:

1. the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury;
2. an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker; and
3. a statement or behavior that it is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.

Workplace violence is also defined in the Violence Prevention and Intervention and Non-Code Workplace Related Harassment – Employees (Workers) policy and Equity and Inclusivity policy.

5. Contact

Human Resource Services

6. History

Approved 1997

Reviewed 2008, July 2017, May 16, 2018, January 2024

Working Document October 2012, June 2014, May 2018

Revised 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, May 2013, March 2015, June 2016, July 2018,

January 2020, April 2021, March 2022, February 2023, February 2025, February 2026                   

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Board Procedure #540.1 Health and Safety – Employees (Workers)

1. Procedure Statement

This procedure provides a guide to health and safety for Board workers which meets legislative requirements and ensures a safe, healthy work environment.

2. Responsibilities

2.1 The Director of Education shall:

1. allocate staff and resources to support the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) procedure.

2.2 The Associate Directors, Coordinating Superintendents and Superintendents shall:

1. ensure that the appropriate equipment, materials, protective devices, and procedures, as required by law, are pre-determined, prescribed and provided, maintained in good condition, and used as prescribed;
2. acquaint a worker or person in authority over a worker with any hazard in the workplace of which the employer is aware of and related work procedures;
3. ensure that the supervisor or worker is provided with the instruction and supervision necessary to protect the worker’s health and safety;
4. ensure that the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy and procedure and information required to be posted pursuant to OHSA is readily accessible to workers; and
5. ensure that supervisors complete safety awareness training for supervisors within one week of performing work as supervisors.

2.3 The Supervisors shall:

1. ensure that a worker works in compliance with the prescribed measures and procedures, uses the prescribed equipment, protective devices, and/or clothing;
2. advise the worker of the existence of any potential or actual danger to the health or safety of the worker of which the supervisor is aware;
3. provide written instructions and/or training to the worker on the measures and procedures to be taken for the workers protection;
4. participate in, or assign a designate to participate in, the health and safety inspection(s) and take corrective actions as appropriate;
5. investigate health and safety concerns, accidents or incidents and take corrective actions as appropriate;
6. complete health and safety awareness training for supervisors within one week of performing work as supervisors;
7. ensure that the Health and Safety - Employees (Workers) policy and procedure is updated annually and the current version posted on the Health and Safety bulletin boards at their workplace; and
8. ensure that workers complete basic health and safety awareness training for workers as soon as practicable after hire.

2.4 Workers shall:

1. participate in and apply training;
2. work in compliance with prescribed measures, plans and procedures;
3. use or wear prescribed equipment, protective devices, and/or clothing;
4. not remove or make ineffective any prescribed protective device, or operate any equipment, machine or device in any manner that may endanger the employee or fellow employees; and
5. report all accidents/incidents, hazards, or workplace concerns to the supervisor.

2.5 Health and Safety Concern Reporting:

1. worker: The worker must report to the supervisor the absence of or defect in any equipment or protective device, or the existence of any health and safety concern or contravention of the prescribed measures or procedures of which the worker becomes aware;
2. supervisor: Where a supervisor becomes aware of a health and safety concern in the workplace, or is made aware by a worker of a health and safety concern in the workplace, it becomes the legal responsibility of the supervisor/employer to take appropriate corrective action on that health and safety concern; and
3. worker or supervisor: If the health and safety concern reported by the worker cannot be resolved, then the appropriate Health and Safety Committee representative(s) must be notified. The committee representative(s), with the supervisor, will investigate the reported health and safety concern, and endeavour to resolve it. The Health and Safety Manager or designate may be requested to assist with the investigation. All investigations will be recorded on the Board’s Concern or Work Refusal Report Form by the committee representative(s). If the reported health and safety concern remains unresolved, then the investigation shall be reported to the multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee for review and recommendation (if any), to Executive Council and the Board.

2.6 Employee Accident/Incident Reporting and Investigation

1. the purpose of the Employee Accident/Incident Report Form is to provide a method of collecting data on accidents and incidents/near misses which can then be utilized by the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) and the multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee to prevent recurrences and, thereby, reduce the frequency and severity of accidents and incidents in the workplace;
2. the Employee Accident/Incident Report Form is to be completed online when a worker:
   • is critically injured at work,
   • is disabled from performing their usual work or requires medical attention because of an accident, explosion or fire causing injury, or an occupational illness or incident of workplace violence,
   • is injured in a work-related accident/incident which results in missed time from their  regularly scheduled workday,
     • seeks medical attention because of a work-related accident/injury,
     • seeks first aid treatment because of a work-related accident/injury,
   • is injured in a work-related accident which does not result in missed time from their regularly scheduled workday,
     • is involved in an incident/near miss in the workplace, or
     • is involved in workplace violence as defined in this policy,
3. reporting and notification requirements are outlined on the Employee Accident/Incident Form;
4. under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, critical injuries and fatalities involving workers are reportable to the Ministry of Labour and, where the injury is reportable, accident scenes must be preserved;
5. the same obligations may apply to critical injuries and fatalities involving non-workers where:
   • a non-worker is killed or critically injured;
   • the death or critical injury occurs at a place where;
     • a worker is carrying out his or her employment duties at the time the incident occurs, or
     • a place where a worker might reasonably be expected to be carrying out such duties in the ordinary course of his or her work, and there is some reasonable link between the hazard giving rise to the death or critical injury and a realistic risk to worker safety at that workplace from any cause, and
6. if there is doubt as to whether the injury or fatality to a non-worker in the workplace is reportable, consult with Finance Services or Health and Safety.

2.7 Refusal to Work where Health and Safety is in Danger

1. a worker may refuse to work or do particular work where the worker has reason to believe that:
   • any equipment, machine device, or thing to be used is likely to endanger the worker or another worker,
   • the physical condition of the workplace or part thereof in which the worker works or is to work is likely to endanger the worker,
   • workplace violence is likely to endanger the worker, or
   • any equipment, machine, device, or thing the worker is to use or operate, or the physical condition of the workplace or part thereof, is in contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or Regulations and such contravention is likely to endanger the employee or another employee;
2. when a supervisor is made aware of a work refusal by a worker, the Health and Safety office must be contacted immediately. The Health and Safety office will immediately contact the appropriate Health and Safety Committee representative(s). The committee representative(s) are to thoroughly investigate the worker’s work refusal and, with the supervisor, shall endeavour to resolve it. The worker shall remain in a safe place that is as near as reasonably possible to their workstation; and available to the employer or the supervisor during this initial investigation;
3. all work refusals by the worker shall be recorded on the Board’s Concern or Work Refusal Report Form. All parties investigating the work refusal will ensure that the requirements prescribed in Section 43 of the Act are applied and adhered to;
4. where the work refusal remains unresolved after the initial investigation, the Occupational Health and Safety Manager or designate must be contacted immediately to arrange for a Ministry of Labour Inspector to attend. Until this investigation is completed, the worker shall perform reasonable alternative work under the direction of the supervisor or the person in charge. If no such alternative work exists, the worker shall remain in a safe place that is as near as reasonably possible to his or her workstation and available to the employer or the supervisor for purposes of the investigation;
5. teachers have a limited right to refuse. Ontario Regulation 857 states that a teacher, as defined in the Education Act, does not have a right to refuse unsafe work where the circumstances are such that the life, health, or safety of a pupil is in imminent jeopardy. This means that teachers have an obligation to ensure that a student’s life, health, or safety is not in imminent jeopardy before exercising their right to refuse; and
6. duty to advise other workers: In some circumstances, another worker may be assigned the refused work because of their knowledge and training, the appropriate committee representative must be present or contacted to advise the other workers of the refusal and explain to the other workers the reason for the refusal.

2.8 Health and Safety Committees

1. the YRDSB has established a multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee in accordance with the requirements of Section 9 (3.1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
2. the structure and functions of the multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee are contained in the committee Terms of Reference as agreed between the respective federations and unions and the YRDSB. The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act requires the committee structure and names of the representatives to be posted and readily accessible to workers;
3. designated representatives from the multi-workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (referred to hereafter as the inspecting representative) have the authority to inspect the workplace monthly and have the power to identify situations that may be a source of danger or hazard to workers. The inspecting representative(s) can make observations and recommendations on the Workplace Inspection Report to the respective supervisor for the improvement of the health or safety of workers; and
4. the supervisor who receives the Workplace Inspection Report from the inspecting representative(s) shall respond, in writing, to the observations or recommendations made in the report within 21 calendar days.

3. Definition

3.1 Employer

The YRDSB is defined as the employer under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. An employer means a person who employs one or more workers or contracts for the services of one or more workers.

3.2 Non-Worker

Is any person on Board property who is not a worker of the Board.

4. Contact

Human Resource Services

5. History

Revised: 1998, 2006, 2010, 2011

Reviewed: 2008

Working Document: October 2012, June 2014, May 2018,

Revised: May 2013, March 2015, June 2016, July 2017, July 2018, January 2020,

January 2021, February 2022, February 2023, January 2024, February 2025, February 2026