This policy covers MakeWay Foundation and MakeWay Charitable Society, collectively called MakeWay.

MakeWay makes every effort to provide work environments that are designed and maintained in accordance with established occupational health and safety standards of the provinces in which we have workers. All reasonable precautions will be taken by MakeWay supervisors and workers to ensure the health and safety of all workers (employees, contractors, consultants, volunteers).

Guidelines

Supervisors and workers must ensure that all reasonable preventive measures are taken to eliminate accidental injuries, occupational diseases and risks to personal security. Everyone has a responsibility to eliminate risk and take steps to ensure their personal safety and that of their colleagues.

Workers must report any actual hazardous conditions, injury, or accident in the workplace as soon as possible to their supervisors and then to MakeWay Human Resources. For assistance with any potential health or safety issue or hazard, workers should consult with their supervisor who will take action to remedy the situation and/or forward the concern to MakeWay HR.

All workers have the right to refuse unsafe work and must do so if they feel they are being asked to work in an environment or manner that is not safe. 

MakeWay HR is responsible for supporting all supervisors and workers in creating a framework for a secure, safe, and healthy work site. Tools and resources will assist workers and supervisors at each site to assess the particular needs and risks of their workplace and to receive the training they require to ensure everyone is working in the safest manner possible.  Formal site-specific health and safety plans will be developed in collaboration with MakeWay HR where required.

Supervisors and workers at each work site are responsible for implementing the health and safety framework for their work-site, including any formal site-specific health and safety plan.

MakeWay HR will provide each work site with the documentation and guidance required to maintain the site’s health and safety program. Anyone interested in obtaining more information may visit the relevant provincial website. For information about occupational health and safety in:

British Columbia,  WorkSafe BC site   

Ontario,  Ministry of Labour site 

Alberta, Alberta Government Human Services website 

Quebec, La Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail du Québec (CSST) site

For other provinces or territories, please contact MakeWay HR for assistance.

Workers Compensation Benefits

MakeWay employees are protected by workers compensation insurance through the relevant provincial workers compensation authority for illness or injury arising out of and in the course of their employment. MakeWay will provide timely support to all employees involved in a workers compensation claim process.

All employees are covered by workers compensation insurance from their first day of employment. If an employee is injured on the job or suffers from an occupational disease, the employee may apply for workers compensation benefits. Benefits may include income replacement, payment/ reimbursement of medical expenses, compensation for total or partial permanent disability and death benefits. Final decisions respecting eligibility for workers compensation benefits rest entirely with the relevant provincial workers compensation authority.

Employees must inform their supervisor and MakeWay HR if a workers compensation absence is necessary. MakeWay HR will complete the employer’s portion of the appropriate form and will maintain copies of all related documentation. The employee and his/her physician then complete the remaining portions of the application form before submitting it directly to the relevant provincial workers compensation authority.

The workers compensation authority may require a workplace visit with both the employee and the supervisor present, including an evaluation of the employee’s workplace. The authority will then inform both the employee and MakeWay HR as to the disposition of the claim.

What to do if You are Injured on the Job

Inform your supervisor immediately of any injuries, however minor they may seem, so that your supervisor can make sure you receive any necessary medical attention.

You and/or your supervisor must complete the required forms to report the details of the accident, injury, or illness that occurred on the job (no matter how minor it might seem) and the medical attention you received (you can designate someone to complete the form for you in your words, but you must sign whenever possible). You must then forward the forms to MakeWay HR within 24 hours so that they may be submitted to the relevant provincial workers compensation authority within their required time frame.

These forms can be found by contacting MakeWay HR. Supervisors will also be required to report to MakeWay HR the remedial steps taken, if any, to avoid recurrence (i.e., to remove or mitigate a workplace hazard).

Returning to Work

As soon as an employee’s health permits, the employee is expected to return to work. If the employee has been absent from work for more than two business days, a medical certificate will be required to confirm the employee’s medical fitness before the employee is permitted to return to work.

MakeWay is committed to providing support for an employee’s return to work, including a gradual or phased-in return when special considerations are required to enable the employee to become fully functional. Common gradual return to work considerations include: temporary modification of job duties, graduated work hours or a modification to the employee’s workstation.

When leave is completed, an employee will return to the same or an equivalent position as determined by their supervisor.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging the work environment so that people can interact safely and efficiently with their equipment and tools. Repetitive stress injuries (RSI), such as carpal tunnel syndrome, occur over an extended period, rather than from one incident.  Many workers compensation claims submitted by employees are the result of RSI sustained through work on a computer. Many other office tasks such as stapling, stuffing envelopes, and spending long periods of time on the phone without using a headset can also contribute to injuries.

There are many simple preventive measures you can put in place to create a safe work environment and minimize your risk of injury. Employees and their supervisors are responsible for making sure that their workstations and workplaces are set up in such a way as to minimize the risk of injury. For more information on evaluating and assessing your workstation, and suggestions on how to make it work better for you, visit the self-help guide at:

How to make your computer workstation fit you

or :  Computer Ergonomics