Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee
An advisory group of employers and employees working together to improve health and safety at UBC Science
First Aid at UBC Vancouver
Faculty, staff and student-staff at UBC Vancouver can enlist the help of Occupational First Aid, 24 hours a day, by calling 604-822-4444 or 2-4444. Students and visitors can request first aid at UBC Hospital’s Student Health Services and by calling 911. In the event of a medical emergency call 911 first and then Occupational First Aid. Units can download first aid posters for workspaces here and here.
Report an Incident
According to WorkSafeBC, a preliminary report for all incidents must be filed within 48 hours and a final report within 30 days.
What is the UBC Science Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee?
A JOHSC is an advisory group of employers and employees working together to improve health and safety in their workplace. The JOHSC advises, assists and makes recommendations on policy and procedures which will improve health, safety and personal security of all workers. The UBC Science JOHSC works with unit-level Local Safety Teams (LSTs) by supporting health and safety issues that may not be rectified at the local level.
Safety Incident Reminders
- Any workplace incident that has caused a serious or life-threatening injury, plus all other immediately reportable incidents, must be reported to Campus Security at 604-822-2222 (after calling 911 emergency services) as part of the incident response.
- More information regarding what to do in the event of a serious incidents, possible serious incident, or other immediately reportable incidents can be found on the SRS Website.
- Encourage everyone to report incidents and near misses into CAIRS within 48 hours of the occurrence so that a preliminary investigation can be completed within 48 hours as required by section 71 of the Workers Compensation Act
- Incident investigations require a site visit that must be completed within 30 days, and include a detailed description of incident, unsafe conditions, contributors, causes, corrective actions, and the name of the participating worker representative.
Templates
- Building inspections: JOHSC General Inspection and Report Template
- Liability Waiver Template for Lab Volunteers: Customize as Needed (Updated 2019)
Safe Work Procedures
- Biological Safety Cabinet Power Failure
- Handling and Disposing of Needles
- Eye Protection
- Field Safety Policy and Procedures (ZOO)
- Field Research Safety Webform - Participants (ZOO)
- Field Research Safety Webform - Leaders (ZOO)
Risk Assessments
- Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment for Field Activities (EOAS)
- Chemistry Department Hazard Assessment (CHEM)
Safety Training
- Accident/Incident Investigation Training for UBC Supervisors
- Biosafety Training
- Floor Warden Training
- JOHSC Training
- Safety Supervision at UBC [Mandatory for Supervisors]
- Chemical Safety
- Transportation of Dangerous Chemicals
- LASER Training
- New Worker Safety Orientation for Faculty and Staff [Mandatory for all Employees]
- Workplace Bullying and Harassment Training for Faculty and Staff [Mandatory for all Employees]
- Radiation and X-Ray Safety Training
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Training
- Workplace Violence Prevention Training [Mandatory for all Employees]
- Privacy and Information Security Fundamentals Training [Mandatory for all Employees]
- Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop [Mandatory for all Employees]
Safeguarding Science Online
- Good Cyber Hygiene
- Mobile Security
- Cyber Security Tips for Travelers
- Cyber Security at UBC
- UBC Privacy Matters
Best Practices for Working Offsite
It's important to have a field safety plan that considers the following when you're working offsite.
Transportation
Whenever possible use a rental vehicle or UBC-owned vehicle. If using a rental vehicle, ensure you have third-party liability coverage through a credit card, UBC or the rental agency.
Injury
UBC has student accident insurance that can be purchased and it's always a good idea for someone in the group to have first aid training for minor injury or illness.
Working from Home
It's important to take the time to set up your home workstations to support working efficiently, comfortably and safely. Visit UBC HR's Office Ergonomics website for resources for setting up your space and stretching.
Campus-Wide Safety
- UBC Safe App (provides direct access to campus safety and security tools including SafeWalk, UBC Alerts and Working Alone)
- Assisting Students in Distress
- Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence
- Hazardous Waste Information Sheet
- Occupational First Aid Program: FAQ
- Ice Prevention and Snow Removal (including priority walkways)
- Guidance for Dealing with Classroom Disruptions
- Emergency Preparedness on Campus
- Transport Equipment and Vehicle Safety
More About the UBC Science JOHSC
Local Safety Teams at UBC Science
LSTs support health and safety at UBC by conducting inspections, identifying and recommending corrective measures regarding unsafe working conditions, assisting with incident/accident investigations, and recommending health and safety initiatives for their areas. In the absence of an LST, the JOHSC will assume full responsibility.
- Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
- Beaty Biodiversity Museum
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Physics and Astronomy
- Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Mathematics
- Michael Smith Labs
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
- Wesbrook Building
- Zoology
Contact the UBC Science JOHSC
Glenn Sammis, Co-Chair
Phone: 604-827-4080
Monica Clarkson, Co-Chair, M&P
Phone: 604-827-5126
Kate Blackburn Co-Chair, CUPE 2950
Phone: 604-822-33365
