Saskatchewan Employment Act Case Study

According to the Saskatchewan Employment Act (2013) Part III Section 3-1 (1) (j), the employer is defined as “a person, firm, association or body that has, in connection with the operation of a place of employment, one or more workers in the service of the person, firm, association or body” (page 67). The general duties of the employer are generally being met in both worksites. Although, it is ultimately up to the employer to ensure that employee’s safety and welfare is top priority. In the manufacturing plant itself, employees are not wearing their proper hearing and eye protection despite being provided with both. Employees at the contracted site are also not wearing the protective gear provided. Workers may need to be retrained or newly

The one general duty that is obviously met is the meeting minutes being posted in a visible area and readily available for workers. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (1996) section 12 states that employers are responsible for the “arrangements for the use, handling, storage, and transport of articles and substances in a manner that protects the health and safety of workers.” In the contracted worksite, employees are wearing street clothing, bare hands and no eye protection, even though there were aprons, safety glasses and rubber gloves hanging nearby. The employer should also be taking care than employees know what chemicals or substances they are handling and is required to implement procedures and processes that are as safe as possible in the handling, use, storage, and transportation of these substances. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations section 319, it is also the employers’ responsibility to ensure all chemicals being accepted by suppliers are affixed with the supplier label. If the employer receives the chemical with no label, the employer is required to affix a label in accordance with the Controlled Products

The Saskatchewan Employment Act 2013 Section 3-10 and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 1996 section 13 lists the general duties of a worker. These duties include the worker being responsible for his or her own health and safety and the health and safety of other workers around them, refraining from harassing or causing the harassment of other workers, cooperating with any one employed to ensure the Act and Regulations are being met at the workplace, using any personal protective equipment (PPE) provided, and follow any practices and procedures developed in accordance with the Act and Regulations. It is clear that in both workplaces workers are ignoring their health and safety and the health and safety of others. In the manufacturing plant, workers placed the hearing protection around their necks, instead of covering their ears blatantly ignoring the signage stating it was a 94 dB noise zone. They also placed their safety glasses on their heads instead of eyes. These actions are also instances of workers neglecting provided PPE and safe work practices according to Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (1996) section 13. Since nothing is mentioned about employee harassment, I would have to assume that workers are refraining from