13.01 – Refusal of Unsafe Work

General

  1. No employee will carry out or cause to be carried out any work activity he/she has reasonable cause to believe would create an undue hazard to the health/safety of the employee or anyone else at the worksite.
  2. An employee who is unable to carry out a work activity as a result of (1) will immediately:
    • rectify the suspected hazard if within capabilities/training, or
    • report the suspected hazard to his/her site supervisor or designate
  3. The site supervisor or designate receiving a report of a suspected hazard will immediately investigate the matter and if in his/her opinion the report is:
    • not valid, will inform the employee who made the report, or
    • valid, will fully address the issue in accordance with established company procedure (Hazard Assessments)

Non-Resolution

  1. If the matter is not resolved and the worker continues to refuse the work activity, the safety representative/a safety committee member will be notified; he/she will investigate the matter in the presence of the worker who made the report.
  2. If the investigation described above does not resolve the matter and the worker continues to refuse the work activity, a WorkSafeBC officer may be notified by the employer.

Discriminatory Action

An employee who refuses work in accordance with this procedure will NOT be subject to any form of discriminatory action, including but not limited to:

  • suspension, layoff, or dismissal
  • demotion or loss of opportunity for promotion
  • unreasonable transfer of duties, reduction in wages, or change in hours
  • coercion or intimidation
  • imposition of any discipline, reprimand, or other penalty
  • the discontinuation or elimination of the worker’s job

NOTE: ALL employees have the right to refuse unsafe work, to know, & to participate!