Health & Safety
Chicopee is an organization whose principle business is sport and recreation in the Kitchener- Waterloo Region and beyond. Chicopee, its employees, and its contractors, will carry out these activities in a responsible manner that minimizes risks to employees and the public.
Chicopee believes that healthy employees working safely in an injury-free and healthy workplace is good business. Chicopee will integrate public safety considerations into business practices and decisions.
Chicopee will meet all applicable health and safety legislative requirements. Chicopee will furthermore also meet other associated standards in our industry to which we subscribe. Chicopee will require that applicable contractors and their sub-contractors maintain a level of safety equivalent to that of Chicopee employees while onsite.
Improving health and safety performance will be accomplished through the application of continuous improvement principles and systems to promote and maintain the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of employees in an injury-free and healthy workplace.
All employees:
- Have accountability for Health & Safety. This includes making decisions regarding our operations as they relate to the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and public. Specific areas are defined in the Corporate Handbook and in applicable Job Descriptions.
- Are accountable for maintaining or taking positive steps to achieve a state of health and safety that is consistent with the demands of his/her position. They are also accountable for their own health and safety by working in compliance with the law and with safe work practices and procedures established by Chicopee. Also for identifying, communicating, and where appropriate, correcting workplace hazards to protect themselves, their co-workers, or the public from harm.
Management is accountable for:
- Ensuring the work environment is designed to protect workers and the public.
- Ensuring that work is planned and performed in compliance with established safe work practices and procedures to protect workers and the public.
- Providing employees with the information, training, tools, procedures, and support required to do their job safely and without harming other workers or the public.
Chicopee contractors/sub-contractors are accountable for:
- The health and safety of their own employees while at Chicopee and for ensuring their activities do not harm Chicopee employees or the public.
- Recognizing and supporting all safety and health regulations.
The above will serve as a basis for Chicopee’s commitment to safety being our #1 priority.
Guidelines
Communication
Chicopee encourages open communication on health and safety issues. Open communication is essential to providing an accident-free and productive work environment.
Employees who voice or identify a health and safety concern will not be subject to reprisal or retaliation.
Health and safety comments will be reviewed by human resources. Director of Guest Experience & Administration will initiate an investigation on each reported or potential hazard and report the findings to the CEO.
Employees should inform their supervisor or human resources of any matter they perceive to be an actual or potential workplace hazard.
Communication can be written or verbal, and may be anonymous, if so desired.
Responsibilities
Employers will:
- Supply an effective strategy to manage the occupational health and safety concerns of the company.
- Allocate and govern resources properly to achieve the health and safety requirements of employees, and those policies comply with the company’s legal obligations.
- Foster a workplace culture of safety with appropriate leadership.
- Review policies annually for compliance and efficiency, and revise where necessary.
- Provide all relevant parties with a copy of all orders or reports issued to the employer by a Ministry of Labour inspector and inform the committee of any work-related incidents involving injury, death, or occupational illness.
Directors will:
- Liaise with government agencies to ensure workplace health and safety compliance.
- Advise management on safety and health policy issues.
- Coordinate health and safety inspections and follow up to ensure the completion of necessary corrective actions.
- Develop best practices that support a strong health and safety program.
- Design and develop accident and incident reports and investigation procedures.
- Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of applicable health and safety regulations as mandated locally, provincially, or federally.
- Design and develop company policies and procedures related to workplace safety and health issues.
- Review injury and illness trends and identify problem areas and solutions.
Managers and Supervisors will:
- Ensure the work environment is designed to protect workers and the public.
- Ensure that work is planned and performed to protect workers and the public.
- Provide employees with the information, training, tools, procedures, and support required to do their job safely and without harming other workers or the public.
- Help develop, implement, and enforce company policies and procedures.
- Continually promote health and safety awareness with instruction, information, training, and supervision to ensure the safe performance of employees.
- Use the process of hazard identification, risk management, and incident investigation.
- Perform occupational health and safety inspections of the workplace to identify and control all hazards to employees.
- Be accountable for the health and safety of employees under their supervision.
- Ensure that machinery and equipment are safe and that employees work in compliance with established safe work practices and procedures.
- Ensure that employees receive adequate training in their specific work tasks to protect their health and safety.
- Conduct health and safety meetings.
Employees will:
- Have accountability for Health and Safety. This includes making decisions regarding our operations as they relate to the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and public. Specific areas are defined in the Employee Handbook and in applicable Job Descriptions.
- Are accountable for maintaining or taking positive steps to achieve a state of health and safety that is consistent with the demands of his/her position. They are also accountable for performing work safely and for identifying, communicating, and where appropriate, correcting workplace hazards to protect themselves, their co-workers, or the public from harm.
- Comply with occupational health and safety policies and procedures.
- Notify managers of any health and safety concerns, so they may be dealt with promptly.
- Protect their own health and safety by working in compliance with the law, safe work practices, and procedures established by the company.
- Use appropriate personal protective equipment as required.
- Report unsafe or potentially hazardous conditions, without fear of reprisal, to their manager or human resources.
Chicopee contractors/sub-contractors are accountable for:
- The health and safety of their own employees while at Chicopee and for ensuring their activities do not harm Chicopee employees or the public.
- Recognizing and supporting all safety and health regulations.
All staff will:
- Complete required occupational health and safety training.
- Perform duties in a manner conducive to a safe workplace, following all safety practices and procedures.
- Report any incident, injury, or hazard as outlined in company procedures.
- Report any acts of violence or harassment in the workplace.
- Promote a hazard-free workplace.
- Learn emergency plans detailing the facility’s procedures pertaining to fire, weather, or medical emergency.
Health and Safety Committee Members or Health and Safety Representative will:
- Commit to improving health and safety conditions in the workplace.
- Stimulate and raise awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace.
- Recognize and identify workplace risks and hazards.
- Develop recommendations to address risks and hazards.
- Conduct regular workplace inspections and make written recommendations.
- Develop and implement accident prevention and health and safety programs.
- Listen to employee complaints, concerns, and suggestions.
- Participate in health and safety inquiries and investigations.
- Advise on health and safety matters, such as personal protective equipment.
- Maintain accurate and detailed records of near misses, accidents, and injuries.
- Promote and monitor compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Monitor the effectiveness of existing health and safety programs and policies and assist with the implementation of improvements.
- Attend regular committee meetings.
Reporting Structures
Any concerns or near misses should be reported to the health and safety committee or representative and the appropriate manager, who will make the CEO aware of the situation. Employees who voice or identify a health and safety concern will not be subject to reprisal or retaliation.
If an emergency occurs, employees must immediately report the incident to their supervisor or manager. Appropriate responses will be dictated by the severity of the event and its effect on the health and safety of employees, visitors, and property.
ABC’s of Health and Safety
Attitude
- Think safety in all your endeavors and observe the rules, both on and off the job.
- Know / comply with the health and safety regulations.
- Know the location of emergency phone numbers, first-aid kits, Patrol Room, and fire extinguishers.
- Always call Patrol for immediate medical assistance.
Behaviour
- Know the safest course of action. Do not take short cuts.
- Always follow all safety procedures and encourage others to do the same. If you don’t know the safe way, stop, and find out!
- Never operate a machine/equipment without having the proper training.
- Use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
- Never use defective tools or equipment.
Control
- Take direct responsibility for your health and safety and of those around you.
- Keep your workspace clean to ensure the area is free from potential hazards.
- Health and Safety Committee
A health and safety committee are an advisory group of workers and management representatives.
Committee members conduct workplace inspections, identify hazards, meet to discuss health and safety concerns, make recommendations for correction and improvement and review progress towards a safer work and recreational environment.
Any health and safety hazards/concerns that you cannot directly solve must be reported to your immediate supervisor. Your supervisor will then address the situation and/or communicate the hazard to the appropriate HSC member. If you feel the situation has not been solved, or the actions taken are inadequate, feel free to contact an HSC member. Your concerns are important to Chicopee and must be communicated for the well-being of all staff and guests. The names of HSC members are listed on all health and safety boards. Health and Safety is the responsibility of everyone. In addition to preparing a health and safety policy like the one above, the employer must also have a program in place to implement that policy. This program will vary, depending upon the hazards encountered in a particular workplace. Program elements may include all or some of the following:
- Worker training (e.g., new workers, WHMIS, new job procedures)
- Workplace inspections and hazard analysis
- Analysis of the accidents and illnesses occurring at the workplace
- A health and safety budget
- A formal means of communication to address promptly the concerns of workers
- Confined space entry procedure
- Lock out procedure
- Machine guarding
- Material handling practices and procedures
- Maintenance and repairs
- Housekeeping
- Protective equipment
- Emergency procedures
- First aid and rescue procedures
- Electrical safety
- Fire prevention
- Engineering controls (e.g., ventilation)
Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of program elements.
Workplace Safety
Safety on the job is taken very seriously at Chicopee. It is important for all employees to understand this is a responsibility of their job and to make safety a priority for all customers and employees. Report any unsafe environment or procedure to your immediate Supervisor.
Employees who do not adhere to safety regulations will face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
All employees have the right to work in a safe environment; therefore, you have a responsibility to follow all safety procedures at Chicopee, including department specific procedures. All Chicopee Health and Safety information is posted on the Health and Safety bulletin board located in Food & Beverage, the Staff Room in the chalet, and the Maintenance Facility.
Hazardous Materials
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Material Information System) is a part of the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Legislation that you and our organization must follow.
Our workplace has hazardous materials. There are several ways you can be alerted to them. First, everything that is hazardous will have a label of some kind on it. Second, if you want more information than the label has on it you can refer to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). These are in a binder in Food and Beverage, the Staff Room in the chalet, and the Maintenance Facility. If you are not sure where it is, please ask your Supervisor.
The SDS are on file for each material. You should take a few minutes occasionally to review the sheets of the materials you work with. They are full of information dealing with handling procedures, the physical properties, the toxicological properties, first aid measures, fire and explosion hazards, supplier name and phone number, etc.