Internal Responsibility System

Construction workers with plan and hard hats

Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility

In every workplace, employers, workers, and contractors all play a part in keeping people safe. This shared approach is called the internal responsibility system (IRS), and it’s the foundation of workplace safety across Canada.

How to put the IRS into action

As an employer, you must take every reasonable step to protect the health and safety of people at or near your workplace.

Here’s what you can do:

Have an occupational health and safety policy or program—in many workplaces, this is required by law
Train workers on how to do their jobs safely
Make sure equipment is safe to use and has the right guards in place
Encourage workers to report unsafe conditions, and make sure they know who to talk to
Have a joint occupational health and safety committee (JOHSC) or a safety representative
Work with your JOHSC, safety representative, and provincial Health and Safety officers to identify safety improvements—and act on them
Follow the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Act and Regulations (PDF)

Watch this video to learn how the IRS benefits everyone in the workplace:

Workers—know your workplace safety rights

As a worker, you have the right to:

Know about the risks in your workplace and how to keep yourself and others safe
Take part in making the workplace safe
Refuse work that is not safe for you or another worker

Learn more about workers’ safety rights and responsibilities.

Employer responsibilities

As an employer in Nova Scotia, you have 2 main responsibilities:

Keep your workplace free of physical and psychological safety hazards
Support workers if they are injured in the workplace—either physically or psychologically

Learn more about employers’ safety rights and responsibilities.

Make your workplace safer with these resources

IRS video

Watch this video and use the discussion guide at your next safety meeting:

Employer Webinar on Due Diligence and the Internal Responsibility System

Summary:

Introduces due diligence and the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), explaining their roles in ensuring workplace health and safety.
Emphasizes that everyone in the workplace shares responsibility for safety, with accountability based on authority and ability to influence hazards.
Explains the three fundamental workplace rights: to know, to participate, and to refuse unsafe work, and their complementary responsibilities.
Highlights the importance of workplace culture, communication, supervision, documentation, and enforcement in supporting the IRS and demonstrating due diligence.
Provides practical guidance on maintaining records, training, inspections, incident reporting, and corrective actions to ensure compliance and proactive hazard management.

Intended Audience:

Employers, supervisors, managers, and employees responsible for health and safety in various workplaces, especially those seeking to understand due diligence and implement the Internal Responsibility System effectively.

Who it's for:

Employers, supervisors, managers, and employees responsible for health and safety in various workplaces

What you'll learn:

What are due diligence and the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), and their roles in workplace health and safety
How everyone in the workplace shares responsibility for safety
How accountability is based on authority and the ability to influence hazards
Three fundamental workplace rights and their complementary responsibilities
How workplace culture, communication, supervision, documentation, and enforcement work to support the IRS and demonstrate due diligence
Guidance on maintaining records, training, inspections, incident reporting, and corrective actions

Simple Acts Discussion Guide (PDF)