1. Workplace Health and Safety PART 3: Participation
Billie Bear Resort

2. Internal Responsibility
If an employer knows of a hazard and doesn’t deal with it to make the workplace safe, the employer is contravening the law.
If a supervisor knows of a hazard and doesn’t explain how to deal with it, the supervisor is contravening the law.
If a worker sees a hazard and doesn’t report it, the worker is contravening the law.
We each have an INTERNAL RESPONSIBILITY to recognize hazards, to report them or deal with them depending on our role, and to make sure we work in a safe manner in a safe environment.

3. Taking Responsibility
It’s Billie Bear’s responsibility to maintain a safe workplace. An employer can be seriously at fault in the case of accident of injury. But it’s ultimately YOUR responsibility to make sure YOU stay safe – it is YOUR health and YOUR life. Young or new workers sometimes hesitate to ask questions or speak up, because they don’t want to look stupid, don’t want to sound inexperienced, or don’t want to be the one who complains. Billie Bear’s priority is to keep employees safe. We EXPECT you to speak up. Remember: everyone brings different experience to the workplace – you’ve heard it before, but it’s true: there is no such thing as a stupid question. If you need to ask it, it needs to be answered.

4. You stay safe on the job in the following ways:
Ask as many questions as you need to make sure you understand how to do a job or use equipment – if you need someone to check out your operation of equipment, say so, even if you have already been shown how. It’s hard to retain every instruction when everything is new.
Speak up if you have a suggestion or if you suspect some equipment or job is unsafe.
Point out any hazard you notice and any damaged equipment so that we can fix it.
Take this training seriously and PRACTISE IT – including using proper safety equipment.
Don’t do any job about which you are uncertain – report the problem.
Be a role model for our guests regarding safe water play and watercraft use.

5. Our Health and Safety Policies
You’ll find Billie Bear’s Health and Safety Policy, along with our policies on violence and harassment and contact information for our Safety Officer, on the “safety wall” in the middle office.
According to the OHSA, a workplace with between 6 and 19 workers needs a Health and Safety Representative, whose duties are to take the lead in:
Inspecting the workplace often (Hangar, office, common areas)
Reporting problems or hazards to the Safety Officer and Board of Directors
Making recommendations for workplace safety
We’ll ask you to choose someone once all of you are on site before the start of our high season.

6. Harassment and Violence
So far, we’ve been talking about your physical safety as a staff member doing the various jobs needed at Billie Bear. Your employer also has the responsibility to protect you, as workers, from harassment or violence in the workplace. As employees, you have responsibilities in these areas, too.

7. Workplace Harassment
Harassment in any form is unacceptable and not tolerated. How would you define harassment? Harassment is behavior that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. Where might staff members encounter harassment? Co-workers, guests, contractors, other visitors, owners or board members Dealing with harassment is your employer’s responsibility.

8. If harassment occurs:
Record information about incident (circumstance, description, individuals involved, date/time).
Report the incident to the Billie Bear Board of Directors, the Safety Officer, or your Board Liaison – whomever you feel most comfortable talking to.
The Board will take seriously, investigate, and deal with all concerns, complaints, or incidents of workplace harassment in a fair and timely manner, while respecting workers’ privacy to the extent possible.

9. Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is:
Physical force by someone against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury;
An attempt at physical force in a workplace that causes or could cause physical injury;
A statement or behavior that can be interpreted as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker.
Employees must not engage in any prank or rough conduct.

10. In case of workplace violence:
Phone police.
Notify other staff members as appropriate.
Notify Board of Directors (by telephone – you must actually speak to someone).
Record information about incident.

11. Evening on-call and working alone:
Inform others before performing a task alone, especially if going to a cottage.
Check in periodically or set a planned return time.
Bank deposits MUST be done in pairs.
Work in pairs if you must speak to rowdy or loud guests or must address an infraction of rules.

12. Robbery Give robber cash/merchandise he or she demands.
When he or she leaves, lock all doors, call police (911), notify other staff, call Board of Directors (you must speak to someone).
Prevention:
Keep minimal cash in register; all other on-site cash to be kept in safe.
Make regular bank deposits – ALWAYS in pairs.
Ensure office doors are locked before balancing till and counting cash.
Store and office doors are to be locked at all times outside store/office hours.