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Health and Safety Policy

The Oakville Public Library shall provide a safe and healthy environment for its workers, volunteers, customers and visitors. This policy is intended to:

• Allow workers, volunteers, customers and visitors to work for and do business with the library with the minimum personal risk, and with the confidence that the organization has taken full precautions to ensure his/her physical safety and health;
• Follow the legislative requirements of the library as stated in The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, as amended, and its regulations. This Act is available at the government website: http://www.gov.on.ca:80/lab/leg/lege.htm#leg_reg .

Description

Providing a safe and healthy environment for the library's workers, volunteers, customers and visitors includes the following:

• Every employee shall be provided with complete safety education related to his/her duties and the operation of the facilities. This education shall include emergency procedures that may be required as a direct result of his/her job and being an employee of this library.
• Every employee shall be provided with equipment, materials and protective devices to allow the safe completion of his/her work and shall be required to make use of the equipment to complete the employee's work or when working near other activities which put the employee at a similar risk.
• Every employee is required to point out any situation, which he/she believes creates a safety or work-related health issue. The situation must be addressed before work continues.
• A worker should not carry out any task which he/she believes threatens his/her safety and health.
• Facilities and equipment shall be kept clean and in good repair. All access to the library shall be kept well lit and clear.
• A Joint Health and Safety committee, with representatives from all branches and the Central library, shall meet regularly to review safety issues and recommend improvements that will help to ensure the safety and health of the library's workers, volunteers, customers, and visitors.

Responsibility for the Policy

• The Library Board and Management are responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and for taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers.
• The Director of Corporate Services, with the direct support of the designated Town of Oakville's Health, Safety and Wellness Consultant, is responsible for steering the implementation of the library's health and safety program and submitting an annual status report to the Board.
• The Joint Health and Safety Committee is responsible for identifying situations that may be a source of danger or hazard to workers and for recommending remedial actions and improvements.
• Every supervisor is responsible for ensuring the safety of workers and the work area under his/her supervision and for ensuring that workers work in compliance with established safe work practices and procedures.
• Every employee is responsible for ensuring that he/she follows safe procedures, uses correct safety equipment and clothing, reports unsafe or unhealthy conditions and workplace injuries, and does not continue work, which he/she considers unsafe, without further training or a change in the procedure to improve the safety of the situation.
• Every contractor/sub-contractor and his/her workers shall comply with the Oakville Public Library's established safe work practices and procedures.

Managers and supervisors have an obligation to know and comply with the regulations of the Act that apply to his/her workplaces.

Details of responsibilities for the manager, supervisor, worker and Joint Health and Safety Committee will be contained in the Library's Health and Safety Program Manual, Section 2 (Accountabilities) and made available to staff at all locations.

Effective Date: March 24, 2011
Supersedes Policy Dated: March 25, 2010
Next Review Date: March 2012