Internal Responsibility System
Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility
Everyone in a workplace – including employers, workers, and contractors – has a duty to keep the workplace safe. That’s the whole idea behind the internal responsibility system (IRS). IRS is a safety concept used in workplaces across Canada.
Simple Acts - Understanding the Internal Responsibility System
Watch this video to understand how the IRS benefits everyone in the workplace
Employers: Putting 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 and program; for many workplace the law says you must have one
- make sure all workers are trained on how to do their work safely
- make sure all equipment is safe and has safety guards in place
- tell your workers it’s OK to report if something isn’t safe, and make sure they know who to tell
- have a joint occupational health and safety committee (JOHSC) or a safety representative
- work with the JOHSC, your safety representatives, and provincial Health and Safety officers to find ways to make your workplace safer – and put those ideas into action
- follow the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Act and Regulations.
Workers: know your 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
See all worker 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 worker if they are injured in the workplace—either physically or psychologically
Make your workplace safer with these resources
Watch this video and use this discussion guide (PDF) to have a safety meeting about the internal responsibility system.
IRS: We are all responsible for making the workplace safe
Learn what role the Health and Safety Branch plays in keeping workplaces safe.
Share this brochure with everyone in your workplace
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.