The WCB's Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officers perform workplace inspections, investigate complaints, and respond to reports of serious injuries or explosions. They play a vital role in making sure that Island workplaces comply with PEI's Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
What to expect during a workplace inspection
When inspecting a workplace, an OHS Officer will:
- Discuss workplace safety concerns.
- Promote the rights of workers.
- Encourage collaboration between workers and employers.
- Demonstrate how to identify, assess, and control workplace hazards.
When OHS Officers respond to concerns or complaints involving unsafe workplaces and reported work refusals, they will carry out a workplace inspection which could result in:
- Order(s) to correct an unsafe situation.
- A stop work order if there is immediate danger in the workplace.
- Legal action, when necessary.
Workplace safety is a shared responsibility and regular inspections conducted in the workplace, by the people who work there, are an effective way to prevent injury and illness.
Employers, workers, Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees, and Safety Representatives all play a role in workplace inspections. Learn about these responsibilities and how to conduct an effective safety inspection in your workplace.
Workplace Investigations
If a serious work-related injury, fatality or explosion occurs, employers are required by law to report the incident immediately to the Occupational Health and Safety Division’s 24-hour emergency line at 902-628-7513.
An OHS Officer will respond and attend the work site to initiate an investigation.
During the investigation, information is collected and analyzed to determine the cause of the incident. The purpose of this investigation is to help workplaces prevent similar injuries or illnesses from happening again in the future.
Under the OHS Act, employers with 20 or more regularly employed workers must have an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program. The OHS Program must include procedures about incident investigation. Learn more about your role in incident investigation.