Due Diligence, Part 2
Most Health and Safety legislation holds the employer responsible for preventing occupational injuries and illness and creating a healthy and safe workplace. This includes insuring workers are aware of their health and safety legal rights and obligations.
So, who is the employer?
The word “employer” indicates any employee who supervises and/or provides direction to worker(s). By this definition every “boss” is an employer! That means they all have employer responsibilities within the organization.
What is Due Diligence?
Due diligence refers to the actions an employer takes to reasonably and practically prevent injury in the workplace.
Worker’s Role
Due diligence is not just about the employer’s responsibility for creating a safe and healthy workplace. The workers (suppliers and contractors) have responsibilities to show due diligence. They need to take reasonable care to protect themselves and their coworkers from situations and circumstances that could cause injury or illness.
Potential answers could include:
- Written health and safety policies
- Safe work procedures that identify hazards and controls
- Written procedures that set forth the expectations for health and safety performance
- Accountabilities for health and safety functions
- Worker orientation and job-specific safety training
- Health and safety audits, inspections, etc.
- Realistic enforcement of safety rules and policies