No one ever wants or expects a major incident to happen on their worksite. Ideally, incidents and injuries are prevented by a well-developed health and safety program. This includes proper training for all employees and a positive culture around safety which is integrated as a top priority across all aspects of the business.

However, accidents can still happen. Equipment fails. Weather conditions change. Unforeseen circumstances arise. So, companies need to be prepared for how to react if a major incident occurs on site.

John Agioritis is a partner at MLT Aikins in Saskatoon with 15 years of experience in occupational health and safety. He focuses predominantly on workplace incidents, helping companies and individuals navigate the entire journey of responding to an incident, dealing with the aftermath and working through the regulatory process. Agioritis shared with us what employers and supervisors need to know about responding to a major incident.

Role of Supervisors

The supervisor has an important role to play on every construction site. “You’re ultimately responsible for workers that you’re working with. And it is not an obligation that’s taken lightly. You’re there to lead individuals, you’re there to model the appropriate behaviour. You’re there to ensure that the requirements of the Act, OHS Regulations and employer’s rules and procedures are followed,” Agioritis said.

He noted that not all supervisors will have “supervisor” in their job title. Team lead, lead hand or other job titles may be used but if they oversee or direct others, they are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of those workers. This also includes providing an environment free from violence or harassment.

In addition to having a good understanding of the Saskatchewan Employment Act and Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Regulations, supervisors need to have the proper training to oversee and direct the work of others. They are responsible for worker safety and act as the employer’s representative to implement the company’s health and safety program on site.

Effective supervisors ensure compliance with legislation, that proper safety protocols are in place and workers are using the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). Supervisors also lead by example, observing and promptly correcting poor habits on their team.

“Supervisors can sometimes be put into precarious spots,” Agioritis said. “They might be managing a lot of people, a lot of activities, and they have to rely on the basic underlying training that they’ve got in terms of ensuring people are following the appropriate employer procedures, safe work practices, ensuring that the workers who are actually doing the work are engaging in their job hazard assessments and following through with the identification of risks that might befall them.”

Role of Employers

Employers are responsible for complying with provincial legislation, ensuring their worksites are safe and their workforce is properly trained. They are responsible for developing a comprehensive safety program and having well-trained supervisors in place to implement and document it. Documentation is crucial to demonstrate due diligence, showing that hazards are being identified and addressed. By also recording positive behaviours, employers can provide evidence of when things are consistently done right.

Workers need to have up-to-date training. This may include working at heights or other job-specific safety training, how to respond to site-specific hazards, first aid, CPR and how to use emergency equipment like fire extinguishers, AEDs, or spill kits. Employers also need to equip sites with proper emergency equipment and supplies such as first aid kits, fire suppression systems, emergency alarms and lighting – and ensure all workers are informed and educated on these measures.

The company’s safety program should have an emergency response plan for every site, setting clear roles and responsibilities for all workers – including evacuation routes, muster points and communication procedures for notifying emergency services or other stakeholders. Periodic practice drills or mock incidents can help ensure everyone knows how to respond to a crisis.

Employers and supervisors set the tone around safety. Agioritis made the point that safe companies work more efficiently and have a better time retaining good employees. “The more robust your safety program, the more safe a place is to work, the more talented the individual you’re going to be able to recruit and the better your organization is going to run in terms of morale and overall organizational performance.”

He added, “Safe organizations function better and operate better. They operate at a higher level.”

When An Accident Happens

Unfortunately, despite best efforts accidents can still happen. Human error, equipment failure or environmental factors like severe weather can cause unplanned events such as structural collapses, fires or explosions, falls from heights, hazardous material spills or machinery malfunctions.

Agioritis advised, “The initial, primary thing to do is try not to panic. That’s very hard because these are very high-stress scenarios and usually chaos ensues. But your first priority is to ensure that the injured worker is removed from further harm, if that’s possible, attend to their safety and apply first aid. Then you’d certainly go through the process of dealing with 911 and calling the first responders to attend to the incident site.”

Next, the employer has an obligation to contact Occupational Health and Safety, the provincial safety regulator. (This is not the time to call the SCSA.) Agioritis said, “The notification requirement is there when there’s the potential for a serious injury that results in a worker to be placed in the hospital as an inpatient for more than 72 hours.” The question of when to notify Occupational Health and Safety may be a difficult one and legal counsel can assist with that determination.

“In the very early stages of an accident,” Agioritis said, “it’s difficult to understand exactly what happened and an investigation needs to happen.” In fact, multiple investigations will need to happen. One may be conducted by the RCMP or police, while Occupational Health and Safety will conduct another. The employer also needs to do their own investigation to understand the causes of the accident or dangerous occurrence and what corrective actions need to be implemented.

Agioritis stressed the importance for employers to undertake investigations in an appropriate way. This may mean interviewing witnesses multiple times beyond their initial statements to get more detailed information about their training history and the processes they were following. He also cautioned that “given the significant regulatory consequences that can be imposed on employers or supervisors and other workplace parties, it makes sense to contact legal counsel.” Legal counsel can assist employers in several ways during the investigation stage, including helping to navigate the path forward with the safety regulator and employees.

If the incident results in a fatality, there are additional requirements for employers. “In the case of a workplace fatality, you have to report and there are specific reporting requirements when it comes to letting the regulators know and how you do that. You need to make a phone call and usually there’s a written report that’s required afterwards,” Agioritis said.

Care and Concern

The human impact of a major incident can be devastating for everyone involved. The employer may be required to shut down the business for a while or determine if employees should be sent home for the day because their mind frame might be affected. If the company has an employee assistance plan or access to counselling, those can be helpful resources to ensure people are supported in dealing with trauma and grief.

Throughout the crisis response, supervisors and employers need to maintain communication with the workforce and family of the injured. “The family is going to be looking for answers and trying to understand what took place. But in the very early stages, there might not be very much that you can report on because you haven’t done an investigation yet and you need to understand what’s happened. And then there are also legal interests which can play into that,” Agioritis shared.

Keys to an Effective Response

Supervisors

• Activate the crisis response plan, stopping work in the affected area
• Secure the scene and help the injured worker
• Notify emergency services and provide immediate care until they arrive
• Ensure other workers are moved to safety
• Communicate with the employer

Employers

• Support supervisors and workers with resources as needed
• Know when and how to report the incident to OHS
• Cooperate with OHS field officers, police or RCMP who attend the scene
• Communicate with the workforce
• Notify and communicate with the family of the injured worker
• Conduct investigations to document and understand the incident
• Contact legal counsel and ensure that legal privilege is protected
• Provide documentation to show what safety protocols were in place
• Prove that future incidents will be mitigated with corrective actions

Conclusion

Both supervisors and employers have critical roles in ensuring safe worksites. Unfortunately, accidents can happen. These rare events require preparation, leadership and planning to ensure everyone knows how to respond.

To reduce the risk and impact of major incidents, companies are well-advised to work with their safety association to develop, implement and audit their safety programs. Emergency response planning, safety training and positive safety culture help teams respond effectively if an incident ever occurs.

Visit scsaonline.ca for assistance with safety manual development, training or getting started on COR® certification.

Visit mltaikins.comfor more information.