Safety Responsibilities for Employers
Safety is the law in Nova Scotia
As an employer in Nova Scotia, you have 2 main responsibilities.
- Keeping your workplace free of physical and psychological safety hazards.
- Supporting your worker(s) if they have been injured in your workplace—either physically or psychologically.
Every reasonable precaution must be taken to protect the safety of your workers. Your best guide to creating a safe workplace is the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (PDF). Take the time to read and understand the law.
The OHS clearly indicates an employer must:
- Provide a safe workplace
- Ensure training on how to do the work safely
- Ensure equipment is safe, with all guards in place
- Inform employees on what could harm them and the safety measures to take
- Offer clear direction on who employees talk to if something isn’t safe
- Have a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (a JOHSC) or safety representatives in place
- Work together with the JOHSC, safety reps and with provincial OHS officers
- Create an occupational health and safety policy and/or program as required by the Act
Not knowing is not enough
The following statements can spell serious consequences for an employer.
- An employer should have known about the situation, but did nothing to make themselves aware
- An employer did not follow an existing rule or procedure
- An employer knew about an unsafe situation, but took no steps to correct it—and did not warn workers about it
Safe from harm—of any sort
A safe workplace is not just free of physical hazards. It’s also free of psychological dangers as well. Like workplace harassment and violence. Get information on creating a psychologically safe workplace.
Learn more about return-to-work tools and supports for psychologically safe and healthy workplaces:
- Return-to-Work Toolkit (PDF) - A guide for healthy recovery from psychological workplace injury
- Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre
Report all injuries
When a worker is injured, your first priority is to ensure they receive first aid and any necessary medical attention. You are also required to report the injury to the WCB if it involves medical treatment or causes the worker to miss time from work.
If the injury is serious—such as one that endangers life or results in a permanent disability—you must still provide immediate medical care. You are also legally required to notify the Occupational Health and Safety Division at the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration right away.
Learn more about what to do if an injury happens.
Work together
Under the Duty to Cooperate law, if an injury happens, workers and employers must work together to create a path back to meaningful work when it’s safe to do so.
By law, when a worker is injured, the employer must:
- Contact the worker as soon as possible after the injury occurs
- Maintain communication throughout recovery and full return to work
- Establish a return-to-work plan
- Attempt to provide suitable, available work that, where possible, restores the worker’s pre-injury earnings
- Provide WCB with any requested information about return to work
Employers who do not follow the requirements may face penalties including the full cost of compensation. Read more about the Duty to Cooperate.
Rights and Responsibilities During a Claim
Learn about your rights and responsibilities once an injury claim has been opened.