HS40 – Health, Safety, & Environment Management [DRAFT]

Records of the University’s Health, Safety, & Environment Management System (HSEMS), and its associated programs, services and committees.

This records class includes Personal Information Banks.

Related Records | Responsible Unit | Information Steward | Information Confidentiality Classification | Retention | Disposition | Archival Records | Authority | Retention Rationale | Personal Information Banks | Version Information

Content & Scope

Policy 34 – Health, Safety and Environment outlines the University’s commitment to preventing illness and injury, providing a safe work and study environment for its employees, students and visitors, and compliance with federal and provincial health, safety and environment (HSE) legislation through the HSEMS. The HSEMS includes: HSE programs, standards, and services managed by the Safety Office; the work of the Joint Health and Safety Committees and Laboratory Safety Committee; and faculty/department HSE programs.

This class excludes records of: hazardous materials transportation and disposal; workplace violence, harassment, and sexual violence cases; risk management for activities/events; reports of injuries and other safety-related incidents; Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) account administration and WSIB claims.

This records class includes: Joint Health and Safety Committees and Laboratory Safety Committee records; records of HSE programs, standards, and services; HSE training/educational materials; records of HSE training completed by University community members; permits, licenses, compliance statements, inventories, inspections, testing, monitoring and usage records for equipment, materials, and aspects of the University’s environment subject to federal or provincial HSE statutes and regulations (e.g., nuclear substances, X-ray devices, asbestos-containing materials in buildings, etc.)

Related Records

  • For records of workplace violence, harassment, and sexual violence cases, see HS10 – Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion: Programs & Services.
  • For records of fieldwork, activity & event risk management, and reports of injuries and other safety-related incidents, see HS50 – Activity/Event Risk Management & Safety Incident Reporting.
  • For records of the transportation and disposal of hazardous and dangerous materials, see HS60 – Hazardous Materials Transportation & Disposal.
  • For WSIB account administration and claim records, see HS70 – Workplace Safety & Insurance.

Responsible Unit

  • Safety Office.
  • Units required to keep records under a University HSE program or standard, issued by the Safety Office.

Information Steward

University Secretary.

Information Confidentiality Classification

  • Public: minutes of the open sessions of committee meetings; training and educational materials, reports and other information intended for public release.
  • Confidential: all other records.

Retention

  • Joint Health and Safety Committees, Laboratory Safety Committee records:
    • Agendas, minutes, and committee reports: 20 years.
    • Supporting documentation: 2 years.
  • Program guidance, training materials, standard operating procedures: 2 years after superseded or obsolete.
  • Licenses & permits, excluding radioisotope permits: 3 years after expiry.
  • Records of training completed by University community members: 3 years after end of work responsibilities requiring HSE training (Note: a summary record of employees’ training is maintained in the enterprise HR system, classified with HR20 – Employment.)
  • Inspection, testing, monitoring and usage records: minimum of 2 years and then until the end of regulatory retention requirements, as directed by the relevant HSE program description, the Director of Safety or delegate.
  • Radiation dosimetry reports for workers who may be exposed to radiation in their work: 5 years.
  • HSE assessments of work and study areas: 25 years after the most recent assessment (retain the two most recent assessments).
  • Environmental hygiene monitoring/testing records: 50 years.
  • Radioisotope permits (for the possession and use of nuclear substances) and decommissioning records; designated substances assessments of buildings and records of designated substance control and removal: Permanent.
  • Other HSE program records: consult HSE programs and standards issued by the Safety Office for detailed retention requirements.

Disposition

  • Archives Selection.
  • Some records are retained permanently.

Notes

  • Non-permanent records which are not selected for the University archives should be destroyed at the end of their retention period. All confidential records must be securely destroyed.
  • Responsible Units should document the disposal/destruction of official records using the University records destruction form or equivalent documentation, to verify that we are following our records retention rules.

Archival Records

Agendas, minutes and reports of the Joint Health and Safety Committees and Laboratory Safety Committee are of long-term historical value to the University. Please contact the University Records Manager for assistance with these records at the end of their retention period.

Authority

  • Policy 34 – Health, Safety, and Environment.
  • ANSI Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers.
  • Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16).
  • Hazardous Products Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. H-3.
  • Human Pathogens and Toxins Act, S.C. 2009, c. 24.
  • Nuclear Safety and Control Act, S.C. 1997, c.9.
  • Radiation Emitting Devices Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. R-1.
  • Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19.
  • Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4.
  • Occupational Health & Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.1.
  • Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.40.
  • Regulations under the statutes listed above.

Retention Rationale

Retention is based on operational use and regulatory requirements under the statutes listed in the “Authority” section. Some records are of long-term historical value.

Personal Information Banks

  • Asbestos worker reports include: name, employee ID number, date of birth, Social Insurance Number, family physician name and address, hours worked.
  • Health and safety assessments include: requester’s name, description of symptoms prompting the assessment, and assessment details.
  • Radiation dosimetry reports include: name, employee ID number, contact information, dose record for the reported dosimetry periods.

Under Review Date

27 February 2020

Previous Version

19 December 2011

(This records retention schedule replaces HS14 – Fire Drills, HS15 – Fire Incidents & Inspections, HS30 – Biosafety Permits, HS32 – Laser Permits, HS34 – Nuclear Substances & Radiation Devices License, HS35 – Radiation Dosimetry Reports, HS36 – Radiation Monitoring, HS37 – Radioisotope Permits, HS39 – X-Ray Permits, HS41 – Asbestos Worker Reports, HS42 – Confined Space Entries, HS44 – Designated Substances Inventory, HS45 – Environmental Hygiene, HS47 – Health & Safety Assessments, HS48 – Health & Safety Committees, HS49 – Health & Safety Reviews, HS50 – Health & Safety Training Materials, HS55 – Material Safety Data Sheets, and HS60 – Workplace Inspections)