Supervisor safety and health roles and responsibilities
Training program standard

SAFE Work Manitoba has made reasonable attempts to confirm the accuracy of the information contained in this document. However, this document is intended for general information purposes only. SAFE Work Manitoba shall not assume responsibility or liability for actions taken or not taken due to reliance on information in this document alone. Manitoba employers must comply with Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation, which may be amended occasionally.

1. Training standard topic

Supervisor safety and health roles and responsibilities

2. Purpose

The supervisor safety and health roles and responsibilities training program aims to provide supervisors with an understanding of their legal duties and responsibilities pertaining to everyday safety and health functions. This training program will explain a supervisor’s role in providing workers with a safe and healthy workplace. 

The training is intended for persons who have:

• charge of a workplace
• authority over a worker

This training program standard outlines the minimum requirements for developing and delivering supervisor training programs in Manitoba. It was developed considering the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation and Canada Labour Code Part II.

3. Design

The training program must:

• comply with adult learning principles:
  1. Ensure learners know why they need to learn specific content and its relevance to their workplaces.
  2. Relate training to learners’ own experiences when simulating workplace scenarios.
  3. Challenge and engage learners using a variety of activities that include participation, feedback and interaction.
  4. Recognize the limits of attention spans and apply techniques to address the ways that adults learn.
  5. Use activities and tools relevant to the workplace.
• use appropriate language
• provide accurate and current content
• include references to legal and technical information
• use a variety of technical teaching aids
• provide learner materials that follow the principles of instructional writing and good graphic design
• be consistent with provincial and federal legal requirements. 

4. Delivery

Regardless of the delivery method, all Endorsed Training programs must meet the requirements of this standard and the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. The delivery method must also support the learner’s ability to attain the learning outcomes.

4.1     Face-to-face learning

 Recommended maximum ratio of learners to instructor:

• Basic theory module:  24:1

 Minimum hours for training delivery:

• Basic theory module: 3.5 hours

The timing for delivery of this training program may be extended for various reasons, such as the amount of available equipment, instructor experience, and/or the learning needs of the training participants.

4.2      eLearning and blended learning

The eLearning content should be consistent with Manitoba eLearning instructional design guidelines.

• Basic theory module

4.3     Distance learning

Training via a live video link and a plan for interactivity with a qualified instructor should be developed and available. 

• Basic theory module 

5. Learning outcomes

Employers must supplement any program that meets the requirements of this training program standard with additional information, instruction and training in:

• workplace-specific policies and procedures
• workplace-specific hazards
• equipment related to supervisor safety and health roles and responsibilities

5.1     Why is safety important

Content includes:

• an overview of the importance and reasons for safety in the workplace
• an outline of costs associated with safety in the workplace

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• explain the moral, financial and legal reasons for safety
• differentiate between overt and hidden financial costs associated with unsafe and unhealthy workplaces

5.2     Due diligence

Content includes:

• an overview of what due diligence is and its underlying principles
• an outline of the elements of due diligence and how they pertain to supervisors at a workplace

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• understand what due diligence is and its underlying principles
• identify the elements of due diligence
• demonstrate due diligence

5.3     Legal requirement

Content includes:

• An overview of the legal framework, including duties and responsibilities, elements of a safety and health program and the structure and function of an internal responsibility system, with reference to statutory, regulatory and criminal law.
• An outline of the roles of a supervisor and how they pertain to the four worker rights.

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Use and identify relevant parts in the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation and/or Canada Labour Code Part II.
• Reference the legal duties and responsibilities of supervisors in the workplace and the legal implications for failing to meet their duties and responsibilities.
• Identify the elements of a safety and health program and the elements that are most pertinent to supervisors in the workplace.
• Describe the structure and function of an internal responsibility system.
• Identify where supervisors fit in the internal responsibility system.
• Describe the four basic rights and how they relate to supervisors.
• Apply the supervisor’s roles to ensure that worker rights are upheld, which includes informing, training, enabling participation, reporting, involving the safety and health committee and reassigning dangerous work.

5.4     Supervisor duties – hazard identification and risk control

Content includes:

• an overview of the steps of hazard identification and risk control as it pertains to supervisors in the workplace

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• define and identify the categories of hazards and how they can be identified
• describe risk and how it can be assessed
• identify types of hazard controls by referencing the hierarchy of controls
• apply the steps of hazard identification and risk control as they pertain to supervisors in the workplace

5.5     Supervisor duties – inspections 

Content includes:

• a description of the different types of inspections
• an overview of the components of conducting an inspection

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• differentiate between types and purposes of inspections
• identify an inspection checklist suitable for their workplace
• explain the components of conducting an inspection, including frequency, content, participants, assigning corrective actions and follow-up

5.6     Supervisor duties – investigations

Content includes:

• a description of the different types of investigations, including near misses and incidents, serious incidents, right to refuse incidents and worker safety and health concerns
• an overview of investigation principles and the steps involved in conducting an investigation

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• differentiate between the types and purposes of investigations and who is required to conduct them
• explain the steps to investigate, like caring for the injured, securing a scene, reporting an incident, conducting interviews, examining evidence and preparing the report

5.7     Supervisor duties – reporting

Content includes:

• an overview of the importance and reasons for reporting incidents both internally and externally
• an outline of what to report and to whom

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• state the importance of reporting and why it is a crucial component in the workplace safety and health program
• describe the reasons for reporting, including moral and financial benefits, and legal requirements
• identify what must be reported both internally and externally
• identify who the reporting bodies are
• apply the reporting requirements

5.8     Supervisor duties – training 

Content includes:

• an overview of the different types and purposes of training and when training must take place
• a review of vulnerable worker groups and training strategies for each group

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• describe the different types and purposes of training
• identify when training must take place and the reasons why
• explain training delivery styles and check participant understanding for all worker needs, including vulnerable workers

5.9     Culture of safety 

Content includes:

• a description of a culture of safety and how supervisors influence and promote a culture of safety

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• describe a culture of safety
• explain the role that supervisors play in a culture of safety

6. Resource material

The safety and health for supervisors in the workplace training standard has material requirements for both learners and instructors.

The date and version number should be indicated on all resource materials, which include:

• terms and definitions
• job aids, evaluation tools and templates
• copies of the applicable provincial or federal safety legislation
• manufacturers’ instructions for equipment
• participant and instructor manuals with copies of activities
• instructor manual and lesson plan

Learner materials include:

• learning objectives, agenda, training content and evaluation/testing

Instructor materials include:

• instructional methods, learning activities, and lesson plan timing
• detailed instructor manual and lesson plans, including all learning activities and audio-visual resources

7. Learner evaluation

The training program must include a plan for learner evaluation that meets the requirements below. The instructor and/or evaluator must have a variety of evaluation methods that suit the learning outcomes.

7.1     Evaluation methods

The training program will include a variety of evaluation methods to ensure that key concepts have been understood by the learner, including:

• open discussion
• group discussion
• questions and answers
• written and/or oral test, where applicable

Evaluation methods must be clearly outlined in the evaluation plan, and the evaluator must document the results.

7.2     Evaluation of demonstration learning outcomes

1. Learning outcomes requiring demonstration must be performed satisfactorily to complete the practical module successfully.
2. Alternative evaluation methods may be used for learners with language, literacy or accommodation needs. The evaluation plan must clearly outline these methods, and the evaluator must document the corresponding results.

8. Validation/refresher requirements 

Completion of the basic theory module per the criteria set out in this standard and the training provider standard is required to confirm that a Supervisor Safety and Health Roles and Responsibilities training program has been successfully completed.

Learners who have successfully completed an approved training program should refresh their training every three years to maintain its validity. This supports learners in maintaining their foundational knowledge and skills.

Glossary

General terms

Asynchronous instruction (ASTD)

A general term used to describe forms of education, instruction, and learning that do not occur in the same place or at the same time. It uses resources that facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people.

Blended learning
Describes the practice of using several training delivery mediums in a single training program and typically refers to the combination of classroom instruction and eLearning.

Distance learning

An educational situation in which the instructor and students are separated by time, location or both. Education or training courses are delivered to remote locations via synchronous or ASTD.

eLearning (electronic learning)

A term covering a wide set of applications and processes that includes web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration.

Face-to-face training

Usually refers to traditional classroom training in which an instructor teaches a course to a room of training participants. The term is used synonymously with on-site training, classroom training and instructor-led training (slightly modified from ASTD definition).

Module

A unit of instruction that can be measured, evaluated for change, assembled to form complete courses or bypassed as a whole, and that is usually intended to teach one or a group of skills or areas of knowledge (slightly modified from ASTD definition).

Evaluator

A person who evaluates learners.

Instructor

A person who delivers training programs.

Qualification

A skill, quality or attribute that makes somebody suitable for a job, activity or task.

Safety and health for supervisors in the workplace terms

Controls

Measures designed to eliminate or reduce hazards or hazardous exposures. Examples include engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment. Hazards can be controlled at the source, along the path to the worker or at the worker.

Culture

A set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize an organization or group.

Due diligence

The taking of every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of the health and safety of workers.

Hazard

The potential of any machine, equipment, process, material (including biological and chemical) or physical factor to cause harm to people or damage to property or the environment.

Incident investigation

The process of systematically gathering and analyzing information about an incident. This is done for the purposes of identifying causes and making recommendations to prevent the incident from happening again.

Inspection

A walkthrough of the workplace, selected areas or locations in order to identify health and safety hazards and to recommend corrective action. Workplace factors that have the potential to cause injury or illness to employees include equipment, materials, processes or work activities and the environment.

Internal responsibility system

Puts in place an employee-employer partnership in ensuring a safe and disease-free workplace. A safety and health committee is a joint forum for employers and employees working together to improve workplace safety and health.

Risk

The chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard.

Supervisor

A person who has charge over a workplace or authority over a worker.

Acknowledgements statement

The supervisors committee/working group has developed a safety and health for supervisors in the workplace training program standard that outlines the minimum requirements for program objectives, training requirements and learning outcomes that are designed to educate Manitoba workers on working in compliance.

Please note that while reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the criteria of the training program standard are met, the responsibility resides with the employers to ensure compliance with the training requirements under the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulations. In determining what rights or obligations a party may have under the provinces’ legislation, reference should always be made to the official version of the Act and Regulation.

Published: November 2022