Policy 34 – Health, Safety and Environment

The policies found on the website of the Secretariat are compulsory rules for the University community. The authoritative copies of the policies are held by the Secretariat and bear the seal of the University. The online version accessible through the website of the Secretariat is available for information purposes only. In case of discrepancy between the online version and the authoritative copy held by the Secretariat, the authoritative copy shall prevail. Please contact the Secretariat for assistance if necessary.

Established:	7 January 1970
Revised:	1 September 2024
Mandatory Review Date:	1 September 2025
Supersedes:	N/A
Class:	G
Responsible/Originating Department:	Safety Office
Executive Contact:	Vice-President, Administration and Finance

Related Policies, Guidelines and Procedures:

Policy 11 - University Risk Management
Policy 21 - Alcohol Use and Education
Policy 22 - Regulations Governing the Installation of Equipment in University Buildings
Policy 29 - Smoking
Policy 33 - Ethical Behaviour
Policy 35 - Firearms
Policy 60 - University of Waterloo Emergency Response
Field Work Risk Management Program
Safety in Student Abroad Programs
Travel Requirements
Weather Closing Guidelines

See also the policies and procedures posted on the Safety Office website.

1. Introduction

The University of Waterloo is committed to promoting, providing, and maintaining a safe and healthy work and study environment as prescribed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other legislation. This policy is a key component of the University’s Health, Safety and Environment Management System (HSEMS) established for the prevention of injury and illness and for managing the University’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) programs.

2. Purpose and Scope

The objective of this policy is the protection of the health, safety and environment of University community members. This policy applies to all employees, students and visitors on University Property or participating in University Events. This policy does not apply to construction projects on University Property where the University is not the constructor or employer, as defined under the Act.

3. Legal Framework

This policy considers all applicable provincial and national health, safety and environment legislation. If any of these legal provisions are modified, abrogated, superseded, or added to, the policy will be interpreted in accordance with the new legal framework. When there are conflicts in applying this legislation, the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1 (the “Act”) supersedes. The other applicable law includes but is not limited to the following:

• Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23
• Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19
• Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4
• Hazardous Products Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. H-3
• Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, S.C. 1992, c.34
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c.16

4. Principles

The following principles guide this policy:

• The health and safety of individuals is of the utmost concern in every area of University operations.
• The University will comply, and expects its employees, students, and visitors to comply with applicable legislation governing health and safety.
• The University commits to identifying and mitigating hazards and reducing health and safety risks, doing so through reasonable and effective means.
• The University will not tolerate violence on University Property or at University Events.
• In keeping with the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), employees, students and visitors are expected to take responsibility for their own safety and actions, and the impact of those actions on others. All employees have a role in working together to create a safe workplace.
• University employees, students and visitors are expected to be proactive about reporting situations that impact health and safety on University Property or at University Events.

5. General Roles & Responsibilities of Key Internal Stakeholders 

Responsibility for workplace health and safety is established in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and is outlined in detail in Waterloo’s Health, Safety & Environment Management System (HSEMS). The University will take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of its employees, students, and visitors.

The Board of Governors, President and all levels of management will ensure that the requirements of the Act and its regulations, other applicable legislation and the HSEMS are implemented through the establishment of HSE programs, standards, and procedures. They will set and monitor health, safety and environment objectives and commit to continuous improvement. Management will facilitate the participation of employees in health and safety matters, including the development of this policy through consultation and cooperation with health and safety committees.

Managers and supervisors, whether in academic or academic support units are responsible and accountable for ensuring that safe and healthy work conditions and environments are maintained, employees receive adequate and appropriate training, and that safe work practices are followed in their areas of responsibility. They will advise employees of hazards related to their work and ensure that they work in a safe manner and with the protective devices, measures, and procedures required by the Act, applicable regulations, and University-specific requirements.

Employees and students shall undertake assigned health and safety training and shall work safely by complying with the requirements of the Act and University HSE programs, standards, and guidelines.  Employees will support initiatives for improving workplace HSE conditions and report hazards or unsafe conditions to their supervisor. Individuals who fail to meet these obligations may, depending on the circumstances, face appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination or discharge from the university.

Contractors, subcontractors, and their employees undertaking work for the University must comply with the terms of their contracts, all applicable laws and University policies and procedures with respect to health and safety, and the protection of the environment. Contractors and visitors who fail to meet their obligations may, depending on the circumstances, be removed from the University community areas or space.

6. Workplace Violence Policy Statement

The University of Waterloo is committed to maintaining a working and learning environment that is free from violence and shall take reasonable precautions to prevent and respond to any form of violent behavior on University Property and at University Events. The University recognizes the risk of domestic violence and strives to assess and minimize risk to ensure that reasonable safeguards are in place in this regard.

The University maintains a Workplace Violence Prevention Program, which includes measures and procedures to protect employees, students and visitors from workplace violence, a means of summoning immediate assistance and a process for employees, students and visitors to report incidents or raise concerns. As part of this program, the University is committed to ensuring that employees, students, supervisors, and other University employees in positions of authority have the appropriate information and instruction to protect them from violence in the workplace. 

All employees, students and visitors have a responsibility to maintain a violence free working and learning environment by not engaging in acts of violence and are required to report incidents promptly as outlined in the University’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program. Any act of violence is unacceptable conduct that will not be tolerated. Anyone engaging in activities or behavior found to be of a violent or threatening nature will be subject to disciplinary and other sanctions up to and including termination of employment, expulsion and ban from university premises. Criminal or civil proceedings may also be initiated.

Appendix A

Definitions

In this policy, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Act” means the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1.

“domestic violence” has the same meaning as violence, except that the perpetrator and victim are or were in a personal relationship, such as a spouse or former spouse, current or former intimate partner or a family member.

“employee” has the same meaning given to the term “worker” under the Act, where the employer is the University.

“student” means individuals registered as undergraduate or graduate students at the University. For the purposes of this policy, a student will be an employee where they meet that definition and are acting within the course of employment.

“supervisor”^[1] means a person who has charge of a workplace or authority over a worker. The definition of “supervisor” applies where a student’s research (laboratory, field or other) for academic credit is conducted under the direct supervision of a University employee. In these circumstances, references to employee will be read as references to the student and the references to the supervisor will be read as references to the University employee who is supervising the student’s research.

“violence”^[2] means,
a) the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, student  or visitor on University Property or at a University Event, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker, student or visitor;
b) an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, student or visitor on University Property or at a University Event, that could cause physical injury to the worker, student or visitor; or
c) a statement or behaviour that it is reasonable for a worker, student or visitor to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, student or visitor, on University Property or at a University Event, that could cause physical injury to the worker.
The definition of violence includes domestic violence.

“visitor” means anyone attending on University Property or at a University Event who is not a student or worker. For the purposes of this policy, “visitor” does not include contractors, subcontractors or their employees while onsite at a construction project for which the University is not the constructor or employer as defined under the Act.

“University” means the University of Waterloo.

“University Events” means activities or events on or off University Property, which are organized by the University and under the control of University employees.

“University Property” means all real property owned and under the operational control of the University, except that, in the case of employees, University Property will have the same meaning as the term workplace, as defined in the Act.