University of Waterloo
PA-14: Workplace Health and Safety

Through Policy #34 – Health, Safety and Environment, the University strives to provide a safe and healthy work and educational environment for its students, employees, visitors and contractors. The University insists on compliance with legislative requirements and regulations contained in, but not limited to, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA), the Fire Prevention and Protection Act (FPPA), the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), and University of Waterloo policies and procedures. The Safety Office provides the majority of health and safety training required on campus, currently providing courses in a wide variety of health and safety topics in both online and classroom format. Health and Safety programs currently in place at the University of Waterloo include: asbestos management, biosafety, compressed gas and cryogenic liquids, chemical safety, confined space, electrical hazards, ergonomics, fieldwork, fire safety, first aid, hazard recognition and control, incident management, laboratory safety, laser safety, lockout, nanomaterials safety, personal protective equipment, radiation safety, respiratory protection, return to work, slips trips and falls, working at heights, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), workplace harassment, workplace inspections, workplace violence prevention, and x-ray safety. Workers are involved in monitoring and advising on programs through the Joint Health and Safety Committees, as required by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. Committees are populated by both management and workers, and have resource persons available to assist with activities.

This baseline was established for STARS reporting and is not reflective of health and safety reporting done elsewhere. 2010-2012 was selected to be aligned with baselines developed for most other indicators within STARS, and taken as a 3 year average between 2010 and 2012 to avoid a single-year bias. Data is compiled by the Safety Office based on medical aid and lost time injuries through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, as well as occupational illness injuries as reported through the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. The numbers reported are a combination of both metrics. The Full Time Equivalent numbers reported here are different than those reported publically by the University of Waterloo as part of its annual Health, Safety, and Environment report. The reported numbers here are employee FTEs aligned with all other STARS indicators, whereas the FTEs reported as part of the HS&E report reflect all paid positions (student or staff), which would be double-counted within the STARS framework for other credits. For transparency, with the same reporting periods the baseline and performance year FTEs as reported through Waterloo’s HS&E reports would be 6,743 and 8,373, respectively.