Whilst Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) can vary from one jurisdiction to the next throughout Canada, there are some common terms and responsibilities that are shared amongst legislation and regulations. Below we have identified a handful of terms and definitions you should become familiar with regarding OH&S.

CCOHS

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) are the national resource for all things workplace health and safety. CCOHS vision and mission is to eliminate work-related illnesses and injuries as well as promoting a healthy and safe working environment. Providing resources, tools, services, and programs, CCOHS was established based on the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Act in 1978. Encouraging education and training, CCOHS is a federal department corporation governed by a tripartite council which represents government, employers, and labour.

WHMIS

As defined by CCOHS, WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. WHMIS is aligned with the worldwide hazard communication system known as Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and provides information regarding the safe use of hazardous materials in Canadian workplaces. Addressing hazard identification, it also covers product classification, labelling, material safety data sheets, worker training and education. After coming into effect in 1988, WHMIS is upheld through a combination of federal, provincial, and territorial legislation and determine the duties of a supplier, employer, and a worker.

CRSP

A Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) are individuals educated in the principles of loss control, accident prevention and environmental protection. They assist workplaces in achieving control over hazards through their education and knowledge in health and safety principles. Dedicated to managing an organization’s health and safety issues according to the BCRSP Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, CRSP certification sets the standards for the occupational health and safety industry via the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals.

Risk Management

The aim of Risk Management is to eliminate or reduce risk. As the name suggests, Risk Management is the process of managing and controlling risks within your agricultural business. Managing Risks can be a simple process: just keep S.A.F.E. 

S = See it. Identify the risks and hazards and things that could hurt someone.
A = Assess it. Think about what harm could come from the hazard, and how serious it might be.
F = Fix it. Put ‘controls’ in place to eliminate or reduce the risk.
E = Evaluate it. Did the controls work as you thought? This gives you a chance to tweak things to improve safety. Keep tweaking until you’re happy you’ve got things as good as possible.

Our Risk Assessment tool could be the perfect tool in your kit to help get the job done.

HPR / HPA

According to the CCOHS the Hazardous Product Regulations (HPR) are Canadian federal regulations enabled by the Hazardous Products Act (HPA). They make up part of the WHMIS, they are the criteria for hazardous product classification and specify what information must be included on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Topics: Safety Management System

Disclaimer: Content on this website may be of relevance to users outside of Australia, but content links and examples are specific to the Canada in this blog post. Please check with your local authority for your country and industry requirements.