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Guidelines 254-1: Occupational health and safety program

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Guidelines

the Correctional Service of Canada badge in gold, green, and red

Number: 254-1

In Effect: 2025-02-24

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Authorities

Purpose

To prevent or reduce the incidence of accidents, occurrences of harassment and violence as well as physical or psychological injuries and illnesses by promoting the establishment and maintenance of healthy and safe work conditions for employees through health and safety programs, training, committees, monitoring, reporting, audits, evaluations, and corrective measures. In accordance with the hierarchy of controls, preventive measures should consist first of the elimination of hazards, then the reduction of hazards and finally, the provision of personal protective equipment, clothing, devices or materials, all of which will ensure the health and safety of employees.

Application

Applies to all Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) employees at the local, regional and national levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

  1. The Assistant Commissioner, Human Resource Management, will ensure all levels of the organization implement effective measures to fully comply with these guidelines, the requirements of Treasury Board occupational health and safety policies, Part II of the Canada Labour Code, the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, as well as any relevant standards and guidelines that may be developed by CSC.

  2. Regional Deputy Commissioners and sector heads will ensure:
    1. appropriate resources and procedures are in place to meet the responsibilities described in these guidelines and any corresponding guidelines or standards
    2. the workplaces under their authority adhere to the accident investigation, recording and reporting procedures outlined in Part XV of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, and all of those accidents and other hazardous occurrences are appropriately recorded in the Health and Safety Module of the Human Resource Management System
    3. their employees receive any training that is prescribed under the Canada Labour Code, the National Joint Council Occupational Health and Safety Directive, and CSC’s National Training Standards
    4. annual performance appraisals (as per the annual standardized objectives) contain a section, which assess managers and supervisors for their adherence to and the promotion of occupational health and safety in the workplace.
  3. The National and Regional Occupational Health and Safety Advisors, Human Resource Management Sector, will:
    1. provide advice and guidance to managers, National and Regional Health and Safety Policy Committees, as well as the Workplace Health and Safety Committees or representatives, to promote compliance with these guidelines
    2. develop programs, guidelines and tools to assist in achieving compliance with these guidelines, as well as any relevant legislation
    3. develop National Training Standards to assist in achieving compliance with these guidelines, including but not limited to occupational health and safety training for managers, workplace committee members and health and safety representatives.
  4. Institutional Heads, District Directors, Area Directors as well as Staff College Directors at training academies will ensure:
    1. the workplaces and/or employees under their authority comply with relevant occupational health and safety legislation, policies and guidelines
    2. Workplace Health and Safety Committees are established as prescribed in Part II of the Canada Labour Code and the National Joint Council Occupational Health and Safety Directive, or representatives are designated under their areas of authority in facilities where there are fewer than 20 employees normally employed
    3. Workplace Health and Safety Committees or representatives are supported with the availability of appropriate premises, as well as equipment and personnel necessary for its operation, and they are fulfilling their prescribed duties under the Canada Labour Code
    4. a hazard prevention program is established and monitored under their areas of authority
    5. a workplace harassment and violence prevention program is established and monitored under their areas of authority
    6. employees receive and use appropriate health and safety equipment, clothing, devices or materials, in accordance with the hazard prevention program, and they are provided with the necessary information, instructions, training and supervision to use them
    7. proper emergency notification and response procedures are in place for workplaces and/or employees under their authority, in accordance with the hazard prevention program and the harassment and violence prevention program, to provide for effective emergency response when problems arise in relation to incidents or workplace hazards
    8. workplaces, workstations and work processes meet appropriate ergonomic standards, in accordance with the hazard prevention program, and in consultation with the Workplace Health and Safety Committee. Where needed, an ergonomic assessment will be conducted by a qualified person and recommendations approved by the employee’s manager will be implemented in a timely manner.
  5. Managers and supervisors will:
    1. ensure their employees receive the appropriate information, instructions and supervision to comply with these guidelines or any corresponding guidelines or standards
    2. ensure each employee is made aware of every known or foreseeable health or safety hazard in the area where the employee works, in accordance with the hazard prevention program
    3. ensure any employee who suffers an injury, an occupational disease or an illness is promptly provided with the appropriate first aid, and suitable transport by ambulance or other acceptable form of transportation (e.g., taxi, CSC vehicle) to a physician or hospital, where necessary, and at the cost of the workplace. If there are any doubts as to the safe transportation (e.g., heart attack), the manager will err on the side of caution and call for an ambulance. These incidents will be documented using Employment and Social Development Canada’s Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report form (ESDC LAB 1070), which will be retained in accordance with Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 228: Information Management  
    4. ensure any reported accident or other hazardous occurrence involving an employee or employees is investigated by a qualified person, the workplace committee is notified within 24 hours of the occurrence along with the name of the person appointed to investigate it, and necessary measures to prevent a recurrence are taken. Hazardous occurrence investigations must also comply with any relevant provisions of the collective agreement and/or global agreement, as well as be documented using the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report form (ESDC LAB 1070), which will be retained in accordance with CD 228: Information Management
    5. ensure any health and safety equipment, clothing, devices or materials are inspected and maintained in accordance with the appropriate standard and employees are properly using them
    6. ensure adequate supervision of employees is provided, including but not limited to observing employee work practices, correcting unsafe practices, and inspecting workplace conditions
    7. ensure appropriate corrective action is taken when necessary, so that established health and safety policies, rules, and practices are adhered to at all times
    8. approve and implement ergonomic assessment recommendations, when applicable
    9. follow the internal complaint resolution process, in accordance with section 127.1 in Part II of the Canada Labour Code
    10. follow the process outlined in sections 128 and 129 in Part II of the Canada Labour Code with regard to a refusal to work
    11. ensure that the workplace committee or the health and safety representative inspects each month all or part of the workplace, so that every part of the workplace is inspected at least once each year
    12. accomplish all workplace committee or health and safety representative duty that is not being accomplished in instances where a workplace committee has not been established or a health and safety representative has not been designated
    13. notify and consult the Regional Occupational Health and Safety Advisor as soon as possible when an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance or a direction is issued by a delegated official of Employment and Social Development Canada under Part II of the Canada Labour Code.
  6. CSC employees will become familiar and comply with the provisions of section 126 in Part II of the Canada Labour Code.

Procedures

Organizational Structure

  1. The Regional Deputy Commissioners will ensure that a Regional Health and Safety Policy Committee is formed in their region.

  2. The Director General, Labour Relations and Workplace Management, will ensure a National Health and Safety Policy Committee is formed.
  3. The National Health and Safety Policy Committee will:
    1. act as the principal forum in which management and employee representatives can meet to exchange information and discuss policies, programs and conditions and in which employee representatives can inform the employer of their views about health and safety matters
    2. become familiar with and fulfill its duties under subsection 134.1(4) in Part II of the Canada Labour Code
    3. address any unresolved substantive issues which arise out of a Regional Health and Safety Policy Committee, including any issues related to their terms or reference
    4. report its recommendations to the appropriate sector head.
  4. Regional Health and Safety Policy Committees and Workplace Health and Safety Committees will develop their terms of reference using the terms of reference template documents developed at the national level.

Training

  1. The Director, National Training Academy, and Regional Director, Correctional Learning and Development Centre, through the highest level of management of the workplace, will monitor compliance with the following training standards:

    1. newly appointed Workplace Health and Safety Committee members will attend the training program as outlined in CSC’s National Training Standards
    2. managers and supervisors will attend the training program as outlined in CSC’s National Training Standards
    3. employees will receive occupational health and safety training as follows:
      1. the New Employee Orientation Program and the Correctional Training Program will cover, but is not limited to the requirements found in the Canada Labour Code, the rights and responsibilities of employees, as well as CSC’s hazard prevention program
      2. any health and safety training for which the employees are identified as a target group in the National Training Standards.
  2. Managers will ensure that employees receive occupational health and safety training or education that is not covered by the National Training Standards, but is prescribed in the Canada Labour Code or Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations by way of the employee’s duties or under CSC’s hazard prevention program.

First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Automatic External Defibrillator Program

  1. The Assistant Warden, Management Services, and the Assistant District Director, Management Services, will ensure that each institutional and community workplace provides first aid services to employees in accordance with the requirements in Part XVII (First Aid) of the National Joint Council’s Occupational Health and Safety Directive and as per CSC's National Training Standards. In non-institutional or community sites, this responsibility will be coordinated by the highest level of authority of the workplace.

  2. The Assistant Warden, Management Services, the Assistant District Director, Management Services, or highest level of authority in the workplace, as the case may be, will ensure:

    1. where there are two or more employees, that an adequate number of qualified first aid attendants are available to render first aid to employees, and that there is at least one attendant per 50 employees during each shift or working period at a location
    2. first aid attendant certification is adhered to in accordance with CSC's National Training Standards
    3. every workplace has a first aid station, which will be inspected monthly and contain adequate first aid supplies, as specified in Part XVII (First Aid) of the National Joint Council’s Occupational Health and Safety Directive and Part XVI of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
    4. first aid kits include supplies for protection against infectious diseases, where necessary
    5. procedures are established to provide critical incident stress management services and the necessary follow-up within the Employee Assistance Program
    6. all appropriate names, addresses and telephone numbers that may be required in an emergency are posted and maintained at each first aid station and first aid room. Such list will include, at a minimum, the contact information of the following:
      1. medical treatment facility
      2. fire department
      3. police department
      4. poison control centre.

 

Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Program

  1. The National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program, will develop hazardous occurrence investigation procedures and methodology and will monitor compliance with the provisions of the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Program.
  2. Managers and supervisors will meet the requirements established in Part II of the Canada Labour Code and the National Joint Council Occupational Health and Safety Directive, including meeting the prescribed timelines, with regard to the investigation, recording, and reporting of all accidents, occupational diseases and other hazardous occurrences that they are aware of, using the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report form (ESDC LAB 1070).
  3. If appropriate or requested, the manager must contact the team responsible for the Critical Incident Stress Management Program to provide support to the employee and those affected by the incident.
  4. A qualified person to conduct investigations will investigate hazardous occurrences as soon as possible after the occurrence has been reported.
  5. The Institutional Head or the highest level of authority in non-institutional or community sites will ensure the data contained in all the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Reports (ESDC LAB 1070) is entered into the Health and Safety Module of the Human Resource Management System and a copy of the report is retained within an approved repository for a period of 10 years. Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Reports (ESDC LAB 1070) regarding hazardous substances are to be retained for a 30-year period.
  6. National and Regional Occupational Health and Safety Advisors will monitor and audit the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Reports (ESDC LAB 1070), and conduct a quarterly trends analysis based on data extracted from the Health and Safety Module of the Human Resource Management System.

Maternity-Related Reassignment and Leave

  1. Managers and supervisors must comply with the requirements established in section 132 of the Canada Labour Code as they relate to pregnant or nursing employees withdrawing from work activities that pose a risk to their health or that of the fetus/child, as well as the provisions of the applicable collective agreement.

Hazard Prevention Program

  1. The National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program, will develop, implement and monitor a program for the prevention of hazards, including physical, psychological and ergonomics‑related hazards in the workplace, in consultation with the National Health and Safety Policy Committee.

  2. The National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program, may, in consultation with sector heads and the National Health and Safety Policy Committee, develop specific programs, guidelines, tools, fact sheets and other educational materials, in compliance with the applicable legislation and/or standards/industry best practices, to support the implementation of the hazard prevention program at all levels. Examples include, but are not limited to:

    1. Chemical Safety and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
    2. Respiratory Protection
    3. Confined Space Safety
    4. Fall Protection
    5. Fire Prevention
    6. Lockout/Tag out, and De-energization
    7. Protective Footwear
    8. Ergonomics
    9. Exposure to Heat and Ultraviolet Rays
    10. Hearing Conservation
    11. Infectious Diseases.
  3. National and Regional Occupational Health and Safety Advisors will:
    1. provide training as part of the New Employee Orientation Program, as well as occupational health and safety training for managers and supervisors, and Occupational Health and Safety Committee member/representative training
    2. develop, publish and update tools, fact sheets and flow charts to assist employees, managers and supervisors who are required to follow the processes
    3. provide investigation templates for complaints and work refusals for employees, managers, supervisors and Workplace Health and Safety Committee members to ensure robust investigations are completed and are appropriately documented.
  4. Managers and supervisors will identify, assess and monitor physical and psychological occupational hazards in CSC workplaces using the Job Hazard Analysis methodology.
  5. The sector head, the Institutional Head or the District Director will ensure the identification, assessment, control and review of factors that contribute to workplace harassment and violence are included in the Workplace Assessment pertaining to their workplace and are monitored in compliance with the provisions of the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations.

Internal Complaint Resolution and Refusal to Work if Danger Is Present Processes

  1. Supervisors, managers and Workplace Health and Safety Committees will ensure the following necessary steps are taken, in accordance with Part II of the Canada Labour Code, as it relates to the internal complaint resolution process and the right to refuse dangerous work.
  2. The manager of an employee who refuses to work will report the work refusal by telephone to National Headquarters if it affects the physical security of the facility, in accordance with CD 568‑1: Recording and Reporting of Security Incidents.

Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention

  1. The Director General, Labour Relations and Workplace Management, in consultation with the National Health and Safety Policy Committee, will develop, publish and maintain a workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, as well as services, guidelines, tools, templates and training programs, in order to fully comply with the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations.

Persons Granted Access to the Workplace

  1. The Institutional Head or the highest level of authority in non-institutional or community sites will ensure:

    1. processes are in place to inform persons granted access to the workplace (e.g., contractors, visitors, volunteers) of every known or foreseeable health or safety hazard to which they are likely to be exposed in the workplace
    2. persons granted access to the workplace are provided with, familiar with, and use any safety materials, equipment, devices and clothing required for their protection
    3. there are adequate processes in place to ascertain that the activities of persons granted access to the workplace do not endanger the health and safety of employees and other persons granted access to the workplace.

Occupational Health Evaluation Standard

  1. The Director General, Labour Relations and Workplace Management, in consultation with the National Health and Safety Policy Committee, will develop guidelines to ensure compliance with the Treasury Board’s Directive on Occupational Health Evaluations, including, but not limited to:

    1. the applicable occupational health evaluation schedule for CSC employees
    2. the recording, reporting and monitoring of pre-placement and periodic evaluations
    3. the procedures for pre-placement and periodic evaluations
    4. the procedures for fitness to work evaluations
    5. the procedures for the provision of any applicable tests (e.g., tuberculin skin test) or immunizations (e.g., Hepatitis B or influenza).

Annual Reports to Employment and Social Development Canada

  1. Regional Occupational Health and Safety Coordinators will obtain data from their local facilities and submit a completed Employer’s Annual Hazardous Occurrence Report (ESDC LAB 1009) to the National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program, by March 1st every year.

  2. Workplace Health and Safety Committees will submit a completed Work Place Committee Report (ESDC LAB 1058), on an annual basis, to the Regional Occupational Health and Safety Coordinators, who will transmit it to the local office of Employment and Social Development Canada as well as to the National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program.

  3. The National Manager, Occupational Health and Safety Program, will submit an annual report to Employment and Social Development Canada on or before March 1st, in compliance with the requirements established in the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations.

Enquiries

  1. Strategic Policy Division
    National Headquarters
    Email: Gen-NHQPolicy-Politi@CSC-SCC.gc.ca

    Assistant Commissioner,
    Human Resource Management
    Guy Morissette

Annex A: Cross-references and definitions

Cross-references

Definitions

Appropriate standard
A standard that provides the highest level of safety to the extent that the most recent standard provides the highest level of safety.
Assurance of voluntary compliance
The employer's or employee's written commitment to a Health and Safety Officer that a contravention of the Canada Labour Code will be corrected within a specified period.
Critical Incident Stress Management Program
A program that can help one cope with psychological trauma. It aims at lessening the acute response associated with an event and reducing further escalation.
Direction
A written order directing the employer or an employee to terminate and correct a contravention of the Canada Labour Code within a specified period.
Health and safety representative
A person who is appointed as a health and safety representative under section 136 of Part II of the Canada Labour Code.
Qualified person
In respect of a specified duty, a person who, because of knowledge, training and experience, is licensed or otherwise qualified to perform that duty safely and properly.
Workplace committee
The Workplace Health and Safety Committee established under section 135 of Part II of the Canada labour Code.

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