Health & Safety Policy Statement
Our Goal: “No One Gets Hurt”
The Management of The Sarjeant Co. is committed to the health and safety of its employees and for all who enter our facility. Protection of employees from injury or occupational disease is a major continuing objective. We are committed to continuing improvement toward an accident-free workplace through effective administration, education and training.
All supervisors and workers must be dedicated to the continuing objectives of eliminating the “near misses” which greatly reduce the risk of injuries.
Our philosophy is that the well-being of our company and clients is dependent on the health and safety of our workforce. The management of our company promises that every precaution reasonable in the circumstances will be taken for the protection of all workers. No job is to be regarded so urgent that time cannot be taken to do it in a safe manner. The welfare of the individual is our greatest concern.
Supervisors will be responsible for the health and safety of workers under their supervision. Supervisors and employees are responsible to ensure that machinery and equipment required for use by each worker are safe and that each worker works in compliance with established safe work practices and procedures for each piece of equipment. Workers must receive adequate training in their specific work tasks to protect their health and safety.
All supervisors, employees, and subcontractors must protect their own and fellow workers’ health and safety by working in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. (O.H.S.A/the “Act”) and all applicable regulations and safe work practices and procedures established by our facility.
We recognize that a safe work environment can be established and sustained only through a united effort by all employees and that the assistance of each person is required. Your attitude and cooperation in promoting accident prevention will assist in achieving our goal of “no one gets hurt,” and make our company one of the best places to work; one where employees share in corporate growth and success.
Everyone from the President to new workers has the responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Let’s all work together to prevent incidents from creating unwanted losses and personal injuries or illnesses.
ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
The Sarjeant Co Ltd. is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing any barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.
We understand that obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and its accessibility standards do not substitute or limit its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code or obligations to people with disabilities under any other law.
The Sarjeant Co Ltd is committed to complying with both the Ontario Human Rights Code and the AODA.
The Sarjeant Co Ltd is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities.
Our accessible customer service policies are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.
ASSISTIVE DEVICES
People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services or facilities.
In cases where the assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or may not be permitted for other reasons, other measures will be used to ensure the person with a disability can access our goods, services or facilities.
We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods, services or facilities.
COMMUNICATION
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. This may include the following:
- Customers with disabilities will be offered alternative communication formats that meet the needs of the customer as promptly as feasible;
- Documents will be provided to customers in an alternative format that will meet the needs of the customers in a timely fashion, and
- If telephone communication is not suitable for customer’s needs, alternative forms of communication will be offered as required. We will work with the person with a disability to determine what method of communication works for them.
SERVICE ANIMALS
We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public.
Service animals accompanying a customer with a disability shall be permitted entry Sarjeant facilities, unless the service animal is otherwise excluded by law.
If it is not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, Sarjeant may ask the customer with a disability to provide proof from a regulated health professional that they require the animal for reasons relating to the customers disability. It is the responsibility of the customer using the service animal to ensure that the service animal is kept in control at all times. Sarjeant employees will receive training on how to interact with customers with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
(A “guide dog” is a dog trained as a guide for a blind person and having the qualifications prescribed by the Regulations under the Blind Persons’ Rights Act.)
(An animal is a “service animal” for a person with a disability if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reason relating to their disability or if the person provides a letter from a physician or a nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.)
A regulated health professional is defined as a member of one of the following colleges:
- College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
- College of Chiropractors of Ontario
- College of Nurses of Ontario
- College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
- College of Optometrists of Ontario
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
- College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
- College of Psychologists of Ontario
- College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
SUPPORT PERSONS
The Sarjeant Co is committed to welcoming customers with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any customer with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter Sarjeants’ premises with his or her support person. At no time will a customer with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on Sarjeants’ premises.
In certain cases, Sarjeants might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health or safety reasons of:
- the person with a disability
- others on the premises
Before making a decision, Sarjeants will:
- consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs
- consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence
- determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises
Where appropriate, support persons may be required to acknowledge that it is the customer, and not the support person, to who Sarjeants is providing its goods and/or services.
(A “support person” is a person who accompanies a person with a disability to help with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or with access to goods and/or services.)
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY DISRUPTION
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities The Sarjeant Co will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
- Sarjeants will post notice of the service disruption on premises in the area where the service disruption has occurred.
- Notice may notify customers of the service disruption by means of recorded message, posting on Sarjeant’ website or other reasonable means in the circumstances.
TRAINING
The Sarjeant Co will provide training as required under the AODA to all Sarjeant employees to whom this policy applies as well as to those persons charged with developing this policy and related procedures and practices.
Training will include:
- A review of the purposes of the AODA and requirements of the Customer Service Standard;
- Instruction on how to interact and communicate with customers with various types of disabilities;
- Instruction on the use of available technology and assistive devices, and on interaction with service animals and support persons;
- Instruction on what to do if a person with disabilities is having difficulty accessing services;
- Instruction on the content and requirements of Sarjeants’ policies, practices and procedures relating to the Customer Service Standard.
Records of training provided to staff, including, the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom the training is provided shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the AODA.
Staff will also be trained when changes are made to our accessible customer service policies.
FEEDBACK PROCESS
The Sarjeant Co is committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and services and we welcome feedback on how we provide accessible customer service. Customer feedback will help us identify barriers and respond to concerns.
Feedback from customers may be provided in the manner deemed most convenient by the person providing the feedback including by phone, online, in writing or by fax, this may include in writing to The
Sarjeant Co Ltd Accessibility Commitment, 15 Sarjeant Drive, Barrie, ON, L4N 4V9, in person to Management or by another method. All feedback will be directed to Sarjeants Management. Privacy will be respected.
Responses will be provided within thirty days of receipt. Feedback/response will be in a format that is accessible to the complainant.
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS
This policy directive will be posted on the company website (www.sarjeants.com).
If this policy is required in an alternative format, the person may contact Sarjeants via phone, online, in writing or by fax to initiate this request.
The Sarjeant Co will provide this document in an accessible format or with communication support, on request. We will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the format or communication support. We will provide the accessible format in a timely manner and, at no additional cost.
MODIFICATIONS TO THIS OR OTHER POLICIES
Any policies of The Sarjeant Co that do not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.
RECRUITMENT
Sarjeants will notify its Employees, job applicants and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment process. When an applicant is selected to participate further in an assessment or selection process, Sarjeants will provide accommodations upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, Sarjeants will consult with the applicant and provide, or arrange for the provision of, a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.