Engineers have a clearly defined duty to society, which is to regard the duty to public welfare as paramount. We practice, develop, and teach practical, efficient, sustainable, and adaptable solutions that identify, assess, and minimize risk, continually striving to meet new health and safety challenges in support of innovation in learning, research, and engineering for the diverse communities that we serve.

Your Rights

We all have the legislated Right to Know, to Participate, and to Refuse:

  • The right to know the protocols, risks, and hazards in our work and in our studies and to receive appropriate health and safety training.
  • The right to participate in decisions, dialogue, and management of health and safety issues in person or through representation on a Joint Health and Safety Committee.
  • The right to refuse work, activities, or engineering designs that are unsafe.
 

Your Responsibilities

With these rights come legislated Responsibilities:

  • Every member of the Queen’s community (Faculty, Staff, Students, Consultants… EVERYONE) has direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of their role. It does not matter who or where the person is in the organization, they achieve health and safety in a way that suits the kind of work they do. Each person takes initiative on health and safety issues and works to solve problems and make improvements on an on-going basis. They do this both singly and co-operatively with others.  This is the legislated Internal Responsibility System (IRS).
  • If you have health and safety related questions, concerns, suggestions or improvements, about your, or any colleagues’ training or activities, then you personally must actively engage with your team at Queen’s to resolve your concern.

Practical Instructions and Information

The Faculty of Engineering Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) is a legislated non-partisan committee of management and non-management personnel whose mission it is to provide health and safety oversight and to support to every member of the Queen’s Engineering community.

  • You and your Supervisor can ask the Joint Health and Safety Committee for help with health and safety solutions. This is an excellent, non-partisan resource.
  • If you have questions or concerns about health and safety, then start by asking (in this order) your TA, Lab Technician, Supervisor, Department Manager, Joint Health and Safety Committee, Queen’s Environmental Health and Safety Department. Remember that Engineering Departments also have safety content on their websites (see links below).
  • Health and Safety Rules, Protocols, and Procedures are in place for everyone’s protection. Not following the rules can endanger not only yourself, but others.
  • Following all rules, protocols, and procedures is obligatory. Choosing not to follow rules, protocols, and procedures could result in suspension of lab privileges.
  • Improving the Health and Safety rules, protocols, and procedures must be done by working with your supervisor / instructor and the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Taking Health and Safety direction from your instructors, technicians, and supervisors is obligatory. Choosing not to follow rules, protocols, and procedure could result in suspension of lab privileges.

Resources