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Rights and Responsibilities

Internal Responsibility System:

Together, the duties and responsibilities of employers, supervisors and workers create an internal responsibility system (IRS).  The IRS is a process to ensure everyone in the workplace has a role in safety.  Every worker who becomes aware of a safety hazard in the workplace has a duty to report it to their supervisor.  Once the hazard has been reported, the supervisor has a duty to investigate and take appropriate corrective action to eliminate the potential hazard.  The IRS flowchart (OHS-4.1.1b) can be used as a reference tool and explains the process in further detail.

Employee Responsibilities:

As part of the OHSA Internal Responsibility System, employees have a responsibility to report hazards in the workplace to their supervisor as soon as possible. 

Reporting procedure:

  1. If safe to do so, take initial steps to address the hazard. 
  2. Report the hazard to your supervisor.  For general hazards, the Facility Services team can be contacted at: REPAIR@uwindsor.ca.
  3. If a life-safety hazard, contact Special Constable Services (SCS) so it can be addressed immediately (ext. 911 / 4444).
  4. Follow the instructions from your supervisor and/or SCS.
  5. If the hazard is not resolved appropriately, utilize the Internal Responsibility System, and contact/consult your JHSC representative (if applicable), the Health and Safety office, or the next level of authority within your department.

Supervisor Responsibilities: 

The OHSA requires Supervisors to inform employees about hazards in the workplace and respond to their concerns. To assist with this process, risk assessments and the development of Safe Operating Procedures are proactive approaches that can be used to identify hazards and communicate the control measures in place for employee safety. 

Please see the below resources to assist with these assessments.

Video:

1. Duties & Responsibilities of Workers, Supervisors - WSPS