Chapter 1 Notes
 Occupational health and safety (OH&S) - The identification, evaluation, and
control of hazards associated with the work environment
 occupational injury is any cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation resulting from a
workplace incident. So, a broken arm after falling from a ladder is one example of
an occupational injury.
 injuries can also result from repetitive motions. For example, a data entry clerk
may be at risk for hand and arm injuries.
 An occupational illness is any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure
to environmental factors associated with employment. For example, firefighter
might develop cancer following exposure to chemicals in fire.
 In Canada, construction, manufacturing, and transportation are the most
dangerous industries in terms of workplace fatalities.
 Lost-time injury A workplace injury that results in the employee missing time
from work
 Brown lung A disease of the lungs caused by excessive inhalation of dust; the
disease is in the pneumoconiosis family and often afflicts textile workers
 Assumption of risk The belief that a worker accepted the risks of employment
when he or she accepted a job
 Accident proneness The notion that some individuals are inherently more likely
than others to be involved in accidents, as a result of individual characteristics
 The Royal Commission on the Relations of Capital and Labour in Canada (1889)
had an important influence on the development of health and safety regulations.
o commissioners made several recommendations for improving health and
safety by establishing standards and mandating regular inspections.
o Second, the commissioners were the first to recommend a system for
compensating victims of industrial accidents, regardless of who was at
fault.
o Finally, the commissioners recommended that a labour bureau be created
to oversee these activities.
 Canada Labour (Standards) Code and the Canada Labour (Safety) Code
happened between the year of 1960s and 1970s
 In 1974, the Ontario government formed the Royal Commission on the Health
and Safety of Workers in Mines. Chaired by Dr. James Ham, this commission was
the first to articulate the three principal rights of workers. These are:
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o the right to refuse dangerous work without penalty
o the right to participate in identifying and correcting
o the right to know about hazards in the workplace
In 1988, legislation was passed that established the Workplace Hazardous
Materials Information System (WHMIS).
Through federal and provincial cooperation, WHMIS has been established in
every jurisdiction in Canada. In every jurisdiction, it is based on the fundamental
right of workers to know about potential hazards in the workplace.
Due diligence An expected standard of conduct that requires employers to take
every reasonable precaution to ensure safety
due diligence is a standard of conduct measured by what could be expected of a
reasonable person in the same circumstances.
Internal responsibility system (IRS) downward trend in work injuries, but not in
other types of injuries, is attributed at least in part to the efforts of government
regulatory agencies and workers' compensation boards. The system of shared
responsibility for health and safety that is the basis for most Canadian OH&S
legislation
The three Es A traditional approach to occupational health and safety that
emphasized engineering, education, and enforcement