Workplace Safety and Health

UWinnipeg Safety Office enforces The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSH) and its three associated regulators (links below) in order to ensure UWinnipeg as a workplace is safe and healthy.

The WSH Act  supports every worker’s right to a safe and healthy workplace. It assigns responsibility to each person for creating and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace to the extent they have the authority and ability to do so.

Worker's rights:

The right to know: All workers have the right to be aware of workplace hazards and to understand how to control the associated risks. Workers have the right to be informed of the hazards at work, trained to recognize those hazards, trained to protect themselves and informed of their rights under the law.
The right to participate: Workers have the right to take part in workplace safety and health activities. This means having the ability to participate in keeping the workplace safe and healthy. Workers are the workplace’s eyes and ears. As they perform their day-to-day tasks, they are well-positioned to identify issues and concerns, making their input into the safety program essential. A safety and health committee is one of the key ways in which workers can participate in safety.
The right to refuse dangerous work: Workers have the right to refuse work they reasonably believe is dangerous to themselves or others. Dangerous work is defined as work involving safety and health hazards that are not normal for the job. Workers should be encouraged to share safety concerns and report them to their supervisor immediately.
The right to protection from reprisal: Workers are entitled to exercise their rights under the WSH Act without being penalized by their employers. Protection from reprisal is a fundamental right and the cornerstone of developing and maintaining a positive safety culture. It is crucial that workers feel safe when raising safety and health issues or exercising safety and health rights.

Workers are responsible for their own actions or inaction. Workers’ legal safety and health responsibilities include:

taking reasonable care to protect themselves and others who may be affected by their actions or omissions
proper use of safety equipment, clothing and devices
cooperating with the workplace safety and health committee or representative and others on workplace safety and health matters

Workplace safety and health committees:

In accordance with MB WSH Act and Regulation, workplaces with 20 or more workers are required to establish a WSH Committee. The committee provides a forum for employers and workers to work together to identify hazards, address safety concerns, and promote a safe and healthy workplace.

The committee consists of worker and employer representatives, with at least half of the members being workers who are not part of management. The committee is co-chaired by one worker representative and one employer representative.

The committee's key responsibilities include:

Identifying and assessing workplace hazards.
Reviewing and addressing safety and health concerns raised by workers.
Participating in workplace inspections and incident investigations.
Recommending improvements to workplace safety and health programs, policies, and procedures.
Promoting safety awareness, education, and continuous improvement.

The committee meets at least once every three months to review workplace safety matters, incidents, inspections, and corrective actions. Workplace inspections are conducted regularly and at least once before each scheduled committee meeting to identify hazards and verify that corrective measures are effective.

Through ongoing collaboration between workers and management, the Workplace Safety and Health Committee helps maintain a safe, healthy, and productive work environment for all employees.

At UWinnipeg, the administration of WSH committees is supported by the safety office, but its success is reliant on the participation of elected members who are chosen from across the various faculties and departments of UW.

At UWinnipeg, we have a central WSH committee and six subcommittees that report to the central WSH.

Workplace safety and health subcommittees:

Science Lab Safety and Health Subcommittee
Library Safety and Health Subcommittee
Facilities Safety and Health Subcommittee
Theatre and Film Safety and Health Subcommittee
Recreation Facilities and Services Safety and Health Subcommittee
Student Services Safety and Health Subcommittee