Supervisor Responsibility

Section 3: Responsibilities of Supervisors

The supervisor of a laboratory has overall responsibility for safety.
Prior to any work being performed by a new laboratory worker it is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that workers are aware of safety rules and follow them and that the following training has been provided:

1. An appropriate safety orientation when individuals are first assigned to a laboratory space;
2. Generic WHMIS training, which may be provided by the Department WHMIS Coordinator, and specific WHMIS training provided by the supervisor;
3. Radiation Safety Training, provided by the Radiation Safety Officer, if applicable;
4. Training on special or unusual hazards in the lab;
5. Training in the use of laboratory specific emergency equipment and emergency response;
   Records of the training must be kept on file in the department and a copy sent to EHSS.

In addition the supervisor is responsible for the following:

1. That adequate emergency equipment in proper working order is readily available;
2. That an incident investigation report is completed for every incident or injury that occurs in his/her lab. (See Appendix 2, Incident/Injury Report Form) Examples include incidents requiring first aid or other medical attention and incidents resulting in property damage, such as, spills, fires, explosions as well as near misses in either category. Incidents resulting in personal injury to a worker require completion of a Workplace Safety Insurance Board, Form 7. The WSIB forms are available from Human Resources.
3. That every two weeks safety and housekeeping inspections of the lab are conducted with a record of the inspection kept on file in the lab.
4. That an appropriate alternate is appointed as supervisor when the laboratory supervisor is absent. In a teaching lab where safety is a concern, the supervisor or alternate will always be present. In a research lab, an alternate will be appointed when the supervisor is away from the campus.

Next: Laboratory Worker Responsibility