Work Placement

Health & Safety Assessment

for teachers
(short version)

Ready for Work

Preamble
The Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment consists of:

a checklist teachers can use to assess the health and safety of potential student work
placements
a checklist employers can use to orient students to health and safety in the workplace

The checklists were developed from publications of the Occupational Health and Safety
Division, Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour and other checklists. All
material taken from the former had been seen by the Occupational Health and Safety Council.
Request for Comments
Feedback on the suitability and usefulness of the checklists from teachers who use them would
be appreciated. Teacher feedback will make it possible to refine and improve these new products.
Teachers are invited to send their comments in writing or contact the Education and Training
Services Unit, Ministry of Advanced Education, employment and Labour directly.
Education and Training Services Unit
Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour
8th floor, 122 3rd Avenue North
Saskatoon, Sk
S7K 2H6
Tel:

1-877-419-3510 (toll free)

Fax:

(306) 933-7339

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Responsibilities: Teachers, Employers, Students

As the person arranging students work placements, you (as the teacher) have a responsibility to
ensure that the workplaces have safe work practices and provide students with suitable health and
safety orientation and training. Part of your role is:

to help the student understand his or her rights and responsibilities

to help the employer understand what is expected

Employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of those in their workplace. The employer
is responsible for protecting students from health and safety hazards by providing suitable
equipment, health and safety orientation, training, and appropriate supervision.
Students on work placements must take care to protect their safety and the safety of their
coworkers.
A more specific list of the employer, worker and supervisor responsibilities, and worker rights is
provided in the Ready for Work resource binder and at www.aeel.gov.sk.ca/youthatwork. These
specific lists can provide your students and employers with information that explains what is
expected and the health and safety requirements that apply.

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Employer Workplace Health & Safety Hazard Checklist

Why?
Teachers setting up work placements for their students have a responsibility to ensure that
the workplaces have safe work practices and to provide students with suitable health and safety
orientation and training.
Accidents and injuries cost employers a lot of money. Some of the costs are:

increase in insurance premiums

cost of retraining or training a new worker
accidents and injuries may damage the reputation of an employer
staff turnover may increase
staff who are stressed may be absent more often

By filling out this hazard checklist, the teacher and you are taking time to ensure that both
the student and you do not incur the high costs dollars, limb and life associated with
accidents.
What?
The hazard checklist is a list of the types of hazards youll find in many workplaces.
You have the opportunity to note the hazards that exist in your workplace and those hazards that
the student will encounter in his/her work placement. Advise the teacher how the hazard will be
dealt with and how the student on work placement will be protected.
The teachers will rely on your knowledge of your workplace to help them determine whether the
work placement is suitable for the student in question.
How?
The teacher will give you a copy of the hazard checklist. You can go over it with the teacher at
the time or after youve had a chance to fill it in. To help the teacher understand your comments
about the checklist, give the teacher a tour of the workplace before your discussion.

OH&S
Checklist

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Employer Workplace Health & Safety Hazard Checklist

Equipment

Questions

Hand tools and equipment

Will the student be working with hand tools or equipment?

Portable power tools

and equipment

Will the student be working with portable power tools

or equipment?

Mobile equipment

Will the student be working with or near mobile

equipment?

Stationary power
machines

Will the student be operating stationary power machines?

Electrical

Will the student be exposed to any electrical hazards

in this workplace?

Compression

Will the student be working with anything under

compression, such as compressed gases, gas cylinders?

Pressure systems

Will the student be working in proximity to pressure pipes

or steam boilers?

Y/N How is the student protected?*

Human Factors
Harassment

Is there a policy on harassment?

Violence

Are there situations where the student could be exposed to

violence or become the object of violence?

Smoking, drinking
alcohol

Is there a workplace policy on smoking? Drinking alcohol?

Working alone

Will the student be working alone?

Shift work

Will the student be working shifts?

Video display terminals

Will the student be working at a video display terminal

for long periods of time?

Work stress

Will there be a high level of stress in the students work?

* Protection includes: training, safe work procedures, engineering controls, close supervision.
Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Work

Question

Lifting

Will the student be doing excessive lifting of heavy

or awkward loads?

General housekeeping

Will the student have to work in untidy or cluttered work

areas?

Walkways, stairs, roadways

Will the student have to work in passageways that are

cluttered or slippery?

Entrances and exits

Will the student encounter entrances or exits (especially

fire) that are not clearly marked?

Elevated areas

Is the student going to be working at elevation?

Is there adequate fall protection?

Chemical substances

Will the student use or be exposed to flammable,

corrosive, toxic or reactive chemicals?

Biological substances

Will the student have contact with any harmful

microorganisms?

Radiation

Will the student be exposed to harmful radiation?

Trenches, confined spaces

Will the student be in proximity to trenches or confined

spaces?

Hot materials or surfaces

Will the student have contact with hot materials or

surfaces?

Ultraviolet light (sunlight)

Will the student spend periods of time working in the

sun?

Temperature

Will the student work in very cold or hot conditions?

Noise

Will the work environment be noisy?

Air quality

Will the student be exposed to excessive dust, fumes or

gases?

Environment

Y/N

How is the student protected?

Other Hazards? How is the student protected?

List any other hazards the student might encounter in this work placement and how s/he is protected. Attach another sheet of paper if necessary.
Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Employer Health & Safety Orientation Checklist

Are these covered in the students orientation?

Name of immediate supervisor and OHC member (or health and safety rep.)
Worker/supervisor rights and responsibilities

Safe work procedures and operation of equipment

Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Identification of restricted or prohibited areas, tools, equipment and machinery

Hazards in the workplace that may affect the student, how theyre controlled and
how to deal with them
What to do and who to see if the student has a safety concern

What to do when there is a fire or other emergency (e.g., evacuation procedures)

Location of fire exits and fire extinguishers

Location of the first aid supplies, equipment, facilities

names of staff are responsible for first aid

how to record first aid treatment

Procedures for reporting accidents and injuries

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Workplace policies and procedures on

harassment

violence prevention

working in isolation

smoking

Location of other important information

Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

Occupational Health Committee Minutes

Instructions for safe operation of each piece of equipment (if applicable)

Important telephone numbers

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Teacher Health & Safety Assessment Summary Sheet

1

Health & Safety Hazard Checklist

Was the employer willing to use the Hazard Checklist?

Was the employer willing to discuss any potential hazards
for the student on work placement?
2

Main Hazards
Which hazards were identified?

Were you satisfied that the employer would deal with the hazards
in a way that would help to protect the student?

Observation of the Workplace

Based on your observations of the workplace, were any concerns you
had about the students safety resolved through your discussions with
the employer?

Health & Safety Orientation

Will the employer use the orientation checklist provided?
Will the employer use a safety orientation s/hes already developed?

Summary
If you are able to answer Y to all questions 1-3 above and Y
to one of the questions in 4, theres a good probability that this work
placement will ensure the students health and safety.
From a health and safety point of view, would you say youre
reasonably sure that this work placement is reasonably safe?

______________________________________
Teachers Signature

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment

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Date

Ready for Work

Sources
General Lab Inspection Checklist. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Health and Safety Orientations, A Guide for New Workers, Ministry of Advanced Education,
Employment and Labour, Occupational Health and Safety Division.
Orientation Record. Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia.
Safety Checklist for Work Experience Teachers, WorkSafe online. WCB of British Columbia.
What is an example of a housekeeping checklist? Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and
Safety.
What is an example of an office inspection checklist? Canadian Centre for Occupational Health
and Safety.
What should be included on the checklist? Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Workplace Inspection Checklist. Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations,
Queensland Government.

Work Placement Health & Safety Assessment