|
As an employee you have a right to know hazards that are present in the workplace or are likely to be in the workplace. It is the responsibility of the employer to inform you and to provide information, instructions, education, training and supervision as needed to protect your health and safety. All these things must be provided before the work begins.
While it is the responsibility of the employer to inform you, you also have a responsibility to ensure you are engaged, educated and participating by asking questions and seeking clarification before you start the work.
If you haven't been informed of the hazards, STOP!
Don’t start a project without knowledge about the hazards in your workspace or the workspace you may be going into.
For instance, if you are asked to travel to a different work location to do the tasks you perform at your home location, you must be aware of the differences between the two locations. Even if it is a similar task, the way you complete a task at your home station may not be the same protocol for the location you are traveling to. The environment, the people you are working with and the tasks they are responsible for performing are all new to you. You need to be instructed on how to complete the task and who is responsible for other tasks.
Example: Loading Rail Cars
While you may open and close rail cars at your home station during the loading process, the way you access the top of the rail cars may be different than other locations. Likewise, safety procedures for moving cars and the emergency procedure to get off the top of the rail car may be different, the people responsible for completing tasks may be unfamiliar to you and the tasks of their position may be different than those at your home station. It's also important to be aware of language or cultural barriers in the new location that are not present in your home location and to note who on staff has first aid training.
| 
