Every employee has the right to work in a safe environment.
The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) requires employers to protect the health and safety of their workers and the occupational environment.
Employers have an obligation under the Workers’ Compensation Act section 21 to ensure the physical and psychological health and safety of workers at their workplace and places where work is being done.
Under the BC Workers’ Compensation Act and OH&S Regulation, the workplace health and safety law, you have four workplace health and safety rights.
Right to know
You have the right to know about all potential health and safety hazards in the workplace and the measures in place to protect you from harm. Your employer must provide you with health and safety information, procedures, equipment, training, and supervision to keep you healthy and safe.
Right to participate
- You have the right to participate in keeping your workplace healthy and safe, which may include being a joint committee member or a worker health and safety representative.
- You have the right to report unhealthy and unsafe conditions, incidents, and near misses.
- You have the right to participate in training, risk assessments of hazards in your work, inspections, investigations, and any follow-up activities arising from reports you submit.
- You have the right to make suggestions to the committee or employer on how to make your workplace safer.
Right to refuse
You have the right to refuse unsafe work. You must not do work that you believe to be unsafe for yourself or your co-workers. To learn more about the proper procedure to follow, see our “How to refuse unsafe work” page.
Right to no prohibited action
You have a right to no retaliation for using your health and safety rights.
This means you cannot be fired, disciplined or treated differently for using your health and safety rights. This may include coercion or intimidation, loss of opportunity for promotion, suspension, firing, or reduction of wages or changes in working hours or duties.