Active Health & Safety Management

Active health and safety management in BC is an essential first step toward improving your organization's health and safety culture. There are two aspects of managing health and safety performance for continual improvement:

1. Managing an effective health and safety program
2. Developing and implementing initiatives for improving health and safety in your workplace

An active health and safety management approach encompasses the health and safety program approach and builds upon it.

Standards for Active Health & Safety Management

The two aspects of actively managing health and safety, mentioned above, are combined in the framework of occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) canadian standards such as CSA Z1000-14.
OHSMS standards outline the principles and processes to follow for continual health and safety improvement. OHSMS standards can be applied to any industry. They do not make reference to specific hazards, but they indicate the need for specific health and safety processes and proactive management processes.
Within these standards are components of an effective health and safety program, including:

• Comprehensive site risk assessments
• Compliance evaluations
• Workplace inspections
• Incident investigations
• Legal requirement reviews
• Worker consultation processes

These standards also provide guidance for active health and safety management processes, which must include these components:

• Leadership and commitment
• Robust annual health and safety planning
• Measurement and tracking of goals and objectives
• Ongoing organization-wide self evaluations

​Adopting an OHSMS standard for your organization is voluntary, but it is very beneficial. Using these standards of active health and safety management can steer you towards best practice. Actively managing health and safety is a key step to improving your organization's health and safety culture.

​Greystone Safety Services in BC has been providing Health and Safety Training, OHS Health and Safety Consulting Services, OHS Safety Audits, OHS Safety Inspections, OHS Safety Programs in BC since 2002:

SERVING VICTORIA BC (VANCOUVER ISLAND), VANCOUVER BC, NORTH VANCOUVER BC, WEST VANCOUVER BC, BURNABY BC, NEW WESTMINSTER BC, RICHMOND BC, SURREY BC, LANGLEY BC, FORT LANGLEY BC, MAPLE RIDGE BC, COQUITLAM BC, PORT COQUITLAM BC, PORT MOODY BC, PITT MEADOWS BC, MISSION BC & ABBOTSFORD BC

According to the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation in BC, it’s the employer’s responsibility to implement an occupational health and safety (OHS) program to prevent employee workplace injury and disease. OHS programs in British Columbia BC must meet certain safety standards. The employer must exercise due diligence in taking steps to meet those standards.

You must have a 'formal' health and safety program if you have either a workforce of 20 or more workers and at least one workplace where there is a moderate or high risk of injury and when you have a workforce of 50 or more workers. Small businesses or employers with fewer than 20 workers need a health and safety program too. These programs can be simpler. We refer to them as "informal" health and safety programs. 

​Health and safety programs in BC are aimed at ensuring workers are protected, risks are minimized, and a healthy and safe workplace is maintained. All employers must establish some form of health and safety program at the workplace. The type of program you need depends on the number of workers you have and the risks associated with their work. Though every workplace and every occupational health and safety (OHS) program are different, there are some key elements common to all programs.

Greystone Safety Services has been providing clients with professional occupational health and safety consulting services, ohs safety audits, ohs safety inspections and safety training courses in:

​VICTORIA BC, VANCOUVER ISLAND BC, VANCOUVER BC, NORTH VANCOUVER BC, WEST VANCOUVER BC, BURNABY BC, NEW WESTMINSTER BC, RICHMOND BC, SURREY BC, DELTA BC, LANGLEY BC, FORT LANGLEY BC, MAPLE RIDGE BC, COQUITLAM BC, PORT COQUITLAM BC, PORT MOODY BC, PITT MEADOWS BC, ABBOTSFORD BC and MISSION BC. ​

Employer’s responsibilities 

Employers have both general and specific responsibilities related to hazard control and worker health and safety in bc. in carrying out these duties, management—from the chief executive officer through to the first-level supervisor—can demonstrate their commitment to health and safety in the workplace. 

General responsibilities 

• ensure the health and safety of the employer’s workers and other workers present at the workplace. • establish occupational health and safety policies and an ohs program in bc. 
• provide general direction to management, supervisors, and workers about their responsibilities and roles in providing a safe and healthy workplace. 
• provide specific direction and delegate authority to those responsible for health and safety. 
• consult and cooperate with individuals carrying out occupational health and safety duties (including joint committee members, worker health and safety representatives, and worksafebc prevention officers). 
• provide workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to protect their health and safety. 
• provide supervisors with the support and training necessary to carry out their health and safety responsibilities. 
• provide and maintain protective equipment, devices, and clothing, and ensure that they are used. 
• make a copy of the workers compensation act and the occupational health and safety regulation readily available for review by workers.

Contact Greystone Safety Services for more information! 

For over 20 years, Greystone safety services has been providing clients with professional occupational health and safety consulting, ohs program development, safety audits and inspections,  and safety training services in:

​victoria bc, vancouver island bc, vancouver bc, north vancouver bc, west vancouver bc, burnaby bc, new westminster bc, richmond bc, surrey bc, delta bc, langley bc, fort langley bc, maple ridge bc, coquitlam bc, port coquitlam bc, port moody bc, pitt meadows bc, abbotsford bc and mission bc. ​