All employers are legally required to maintain a safe workplace by complying with the requirements in the Safety Act(s) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OHS Regulations). The Act(s) and OHS Regulations help to protect the health and safety of workers and employers in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
During an inspection, a Safety Officer visits your worksite and assesses work practices. The employer receives an inspection report that includes:
- Observations about what they are doing well, and
- Directions that identify any areas of non-compliance.
The Safety Officer and the employer will agree to a compliance date for each Direction before the inspection is complete. A Direction cites the safety legislation you must comply with.
Things to Know About Worksite Inspections
- A Safety Officer will conduct one of the following types of inspections:
- Scheduled Inspection – The most common type of inspection. Your company is selected for an inspection based on WSCC inspection criteria, or an employer may request a visit from the WSCC.
- Focused Inspection – A particular risk identified by the WSCC that employers should be aware of. For example, a topic based on overall injury rates or a change to legislation that impacts your industry.
- Referral Inspection – A referral inspection typically comes from a Report of Unsafe Work or an Employer’s Report of Injury.
Follow-up Inspection – These inspections happen when there are outstanding items from a past inspection or Direction(s). An employer may also request a follow-up inspection.
- During the inspection close-out meeting and before the report is sent to the employer, the Safety Officer and the employer’s representative discuss the Direction(s) and set compliance dates.
- If you do not meet compliance by the due date, you receive a reminder after 24 hours. If you need extra time, contact the Safety Officer who conducted the inspection.
- You receive a final warning email 14 days after the compliance date.
- You receive a Stop Work Order by email 28 days after the compliance date.
- After 28 days, if the employer is not in compliance and the non-compliance has potential for imminent danger or the employer fails to communicate with us, the WSCC may move to prosecution.
- At any point in this process, a Safety Officer will issue a Stop Work or Stop Use order if imminent danger to workers is found on your worksite. The Safety Officer will lift the order when the employer provides documents that demonstrate they have achieved compliance.
The WSCC is here to support every workplace to meet the requirements of Nunavut’s and Northwest Territories’ safety legislation. We encourage you to maintain open communication with us if you have questions or concerns about workplace health and safety. If you have questions about inspection reports or related Directions, please notify the Safety Officer who conducted the inspection at any time. If you have general questions on the inspection process or compliance, contact us today.
