Longer days, chirping birds, and muddy ground all point to one thing—spring start up. If you are lucky, you have returning employees who know your business. Even though they may be young workers, if they have proven themselves, they will likely be the ones you rely on for the season ahead. You may even appoint one to be a supervisor.   

“Employers sometimes forget that they are legally responsible for providing supervision and that when they appoint a supervisor, that supervisor must have the knowledge and skills to do the job,” says Shawn Chadwick, Industry Partnerships Agriculture Account Manager with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS). “Often, what I see is someone promoted to a supervisor role because they are a diligent and reliable worker. They may be very knowledgeable about shrubs and plants and have demonstrated high-quality work. These are all good things,” explains Shawn. “However, there’s more to being a supervisor than being a good worker.”

Supervisors are legally responsible for the health and safety of workers

“Supervisors have one of the greatest responsibilities within a company because they are managing the health and safety of the employees,” says Shawn. “There is quite a lot of legal liability that comes with the role.” The problem is that supervisors are not always aware of this, especially if they have not received training that clearly explains their responsibilities and legal requirements.

While each province has its own health and safety legislation, they all specify the duties of a supervisor. These duties generally include informing workers of any potential or actual dangers they may face and taking every reasonable precaution to protect the health and safety of workers. Ultimately, the employer is responsible for the safety of all employees; however, supervisors are often the ones working directly with workers, making sure procedures are being followed and personal protective equipment is being worn properly. “Supervisors must be able to recognize the hazards in all job tasks and must have the knowledge to implement effective controls,” says Shawn. Failure to do so could result in individual fines for the supervisor and, in some cases, criminal liability. 

Consider this example: you promote a worker to a supervisory role after they’ve been with you for a few seasons. They are great with plants and trees, always stay on schedule, but they’ve never operated the bobcat. Now they are supervising workers who are operating the bobcat. “How is this supervisor going to know if it is being operated properly?” asks Shawn. “Will the supervisor be able to recognize the hazards associated with operating the bobcat, and will they know what to do about them?”

This example illustrates why it is so important for the supervisor to complete training in all areas of work that they will be expected to supervise. They must understand the hazards and controls associated with all job tasks and effectively communicate this information with workers. “When owners or employers are looking to appoint a supervisor, it should be someone who has good people management skills. You need someone who is comfortable speaking with workers and explaining procedures,” says Shawn. “And you need someone who understands due diligence.”

What is due diligence?

Employers and supervisors are required to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers. Due diligence refers to doing exactly that—taking every reasonable precaution to protect workers. However, in addition to doing this, you have to be able to prove that you’ve done it. “I often tell employers that if it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen,” says Shawn, referring to the importance of documenting that you have taken steps to prevent injury and illness. 

If an injury occurs, it is usually the supervisor who completes the injury report because they are the ones directing the work on a day-to-day basis and know exactly what happened. If an inspector investigates, they will ask the supervisor a series of questions to determine what caused the incident and whether or not every reasonable precaution was taken to prevent it. In other words, inspectors will be looking for evidence of due diligence. If the supervisor is not able to provide adequate answers with documented proof, it may call their competency into question. 

Train and educate supervisors

Before you promote someone to be a supervisor or put them in a position of authority over other workers, make sure you provide them with the knowledge they need to do the job properly. Supervisors must be trained on the specific health and safety legislation that applies to the work your company does. They need to understand the legal responsibilities that come with the role.

When a new supervisor learns about due diligence, make sure they receive clear direction on what to document and how to document it. “For example, you’ll want to document training records, safety talks, safe work procedures, and hazard assessments,” says Shawn. “Supervisors must be familiar with the company’s health and safety policies and programs.”

“As a start, supervisors should complete health and safety awareness training,” says Shawn. They also need training on all aspects of the work they are supervising to ensure that they understand the risks involved. Ensure supervisors know how to implement the RACE method of hazard recognition—Recognize, Assess, Control, and Evaluate—so that they can effectively manage the actual and potential hazards present in the workplace. A great resource is the Health and Safety Handbook Generator. In approximately 15 minutes, you will have a workplace-specific guide to help your supervisors manage hazards.

Visit the WSPS Landscaping and Arborist Safety resource centre for more information about legislation, top hazards, and training. 

This article was originally published in Landscape Trades Magazine.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.