Health and Safety
Workplace health and safety is the PWU’s number one priority. Our highly skilled and trained Joint Health and Safety Committee Members are there to support PWU members’ needs.
Workplace health and safety
We take workplace health and safety very seriously at the Power Workers’ Union. Our Joint Health and Safety Committee Members are trained to know what to do if a PWU member needs help.
Don’t face high risk hazards alone
The PWU is dedicated to working with members and employers towards achieving world-class accident-free workplaces.
The PWU has taken a strong leadership role in developing cultures that keep workers health and safety at the forefront in both job planning and execution of work plans.
Elected PWU representatives are assisted by PWU Health and Safety Staff Officers who interface with employers on a regular and ongoing basis to monitor the effectiveness of health and safety programs and resolve concerns.
Electricity sector workers face unforgiving hazards in a multitude of diverse workplace environments, every working day. All workers involved must fully understand the hazards associated with the task at hand. Those hazards must be eliminated when possible and when they can’t, the hazards must otherwise be kept under constant control.
There is nothing more important than workers’ health and safety and it is always at the top of the agenda. The PWU offers accredited training to all Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) members and Health and Safety Representatives. The training takes place at our own training facility and is facilitated by our union members. It’s a workers training workers approach that works and participants leave with the high-level knowledge they need. They are highly skilled in providing high-quality workplace inspections and advocating for proactive preventive program development. They identify hazards, recommend solutions and monitor their effectiveness to ensure workplace safety.
Our members have rights and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario (OHSA), and/or the Canada Labour Code, Part II, depending on whether their employer falls under provincial or federal jurisdiction.
The PWU has elected worker representatives to over 200 JHSCs who work to support and enhance the functionality of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS).
Even today, despite the efforts of unions and health and safety activists everywhere, far too many workers are killed, injured or fall victim to occupational disease while working to earn a living.
There is still much work to be done
Safety is of upmost importance to everyone. Most of our collective agreements contain language that gives workers the fundamental right to refuse work that they feel is unsafe without the fear of reprisal and gives certified Health and Safety Representatives the right to unilaterally stop unsafe work.
PWU Health and Safety Goal
To help create and maintain world-class work environments where no workers are killed, injured or exposed to hazardous substances.
