Employers Duties

Employers must ensure the health and safety of all workers employed by them, as well as any other workers present at the workplace where their work is being carried out.

Employers must comply with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) provisions, regulations, and any applicable orders.

Employers have specific responsibilities, including:

• Rectifying any hazardous workplace conditions that could harm their workers' health or safety.

• Informing their workers about known or foreseeable health and safety hazards related to their work.

• Ensuring their workers are aware of their rights and duties under the OHS provisions and regulations.

• Establishing occupational health and safety policies and programs as required by the regulations.

• Providing and maintaining protective equipment, devices, and clothing as required by the regulations, and ensuring their workers use them.

• Providing information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary for the health and safety of their workers and other workers at the workplace.

• Making copies of the OHS Act and regulations available for review by workers and posting a notice indicating where the copy can be found at each workplace.

• Consulting and cooperating with joint committees and worker health and safety representatives.

• Cooperating with the regulatory authorities and any other individuals responsible for enforcing the OHS provisions and regulations.

If a worker gets injured while working, the employer must bear the cost of providing immediate transportation to a hospital, physician, or qualified practitioner for initial treatment when it is needed. The employer is responsible for arranging and covering the expenses of getting the injured worker to the appropriate medical care.

Employer to provide notice of an injury:

An employer must report any injury or claimed injury within 3 days after it happens.

They must also report any disabling occupational disease, claim, or allegation related to a worker within 3 days of receiving information of an employee injury.

The death of a worker related to their employment must be reported immediately.

The report should include the worker's name and address, time and place of the injury, nature of the injury or disease, attending physician's information, and other details as required.

Failing to make the required report is an offence, except if there is a valid reason excused by the Board.

Employees Duties

The general duties of workers can be summarized as follows:

Workers must take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions at work.

Workers must comply with the OHS provisions, regulations, and any applicable orders.

Workers have specific responsibilities, including:

• Performing their work following established safe work procedures required by the OHS provisions and regulations.

• Using and wearing protective equipment, devices, and clothing as required by the regulations.

• Avoid engaging in horseplay or conduct that may endanger themselves or others.

• Ensuring their ability to work safely is not impaired by alcohol, drugs, or any other causes.

• Reporting any contraventions of the OHS provisions, regulations, or applicable orders that they are aware of, as well as any absence or defect in protective equipment or the existence of other hazards that may endanger them or others.

• Cooperating with joint committees or worker health and safety representatives.

• Cooperating with regulatory authorities and individuals responsible for enforcing the OHS provisions and regulations.

Workers notice of occupational disease

When a worker gets injured or suffers from an occupational disease in an industry covered by the compensation provisions, the worker or their dependents must inform the employer about the occurrence as soon as possible.

The provided information should include the worker's name, time and place of the occurrence, and a simple description of the injury or disease.

The information should be given to the appropriate representative of the employer, such as the supervisor or first aid attendant.

In the case of an occupational disease, the employer to be informed is the one who last employed the worker in the relevant job.

BC Worker’s Compensation Act s. 21, 22, 149, 150, 159