Responsibilities > Refusal of Unsafe Work

Power Tech Industries recognizes all workers have the right and responsibility to refuse work that they believe is unusually dangerous to themselves or others. This danger may be from hazards in the work site, the job procedure, or lack of training. ALL work refusals will immediately be reported to the job Supervisor.

When a refusal to work on the grounds of safety has been brought to the attention of the worksite Supervisor, all work must stop, and the following process shall be followed:

•Management shall investigate the situation and determine if it is related to a worker’s lack of training or related to a physical hazard.

•If the hazard relates to a lack of training and another trained and competent worker is able to perform the task safely, assign the other competent worker to perform the task with the assistance of the worker who has not been trained. AT NO TIME SHALL ANOTHER WORKER BE ASSIGNED THE WORK IF THE HAZARD IS NOT RELATED TO A LACK OF TRAINING. The intent is to have the untrained worker trained in this process. Ensure that OH&S legislation and the Company Safe Work procedures are reviewed to ensure that they are followed or are not being contravened by the work.

•At no time can the worker who has refused the work be disciplined in any form for refusing the work.

•If the hazard relates to a perceived unsafe condition or work process, the job shall be stopped immediately. The hazardous condition, work process, defective tool shall be appropriately tagged, signed or barricaded immediately or (if possible) eliminated / corrected. All other workers that may be affected by the hazardous situation shall be informed of the situation. This usually involves a short on-site safety meeting. All affected workers must be appropriately reassigned until the hazard is corrected.

•If there is disagreement as to the nature, severity or extent of the hazard, Management shall investigate the work process, procedure, situation, to ensure that it does not contravene any applicable legislative requirements. It is not good enough to say that this is the way we have always done this. This investigation process may require calls to be made to OH&S. If a solution cannot be reached by all persons concerned and the person who initially refused the work cannot be satisfied that the process has been made safe, Management shall call an OH&S Officer to arbitrate and make the final call.

•A written record of all such instances shall be maintained. Use the Incident / Accident report to record each situation, the corrective action, communications, reassignment of work, etc.