Safety Orientation Guide

A comprehensive safety orientation is required by law. A safety orientation tells employees that the company is committed to protecting their health & safety and that they are expected to be equally dedicated. Safety orientation builds awareness of hazards and requires employees to commit to follow safe work procedures.

The company owner or senior supervisor should ensure that all required topics are discussed with the worker and verifies necessary certifications (such as a valid driver’s license and current forklift operator ticket) before permitting the employee to start work. Both the worker and person providing the orientation should sign the completed orientation form.

Safety orientation – learning and remembering

Because a new employee may struggle to remember all the information received during orientation, thecompany should providea copy of the manual during the orientation and tell all employees where to access additional OHS information.

Safety orientation – topics and discussion

During orientation, the supervisor or trainer providing the orientation should discuss each topic as needed.

Orientation Topic / Discussion Points
General Requirements
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) /
  • When and how to use required PPE
  • Where to obtain PPE
  • Limitation of protection
  • Inspection, maintenance and storage

Emergency Response Plan (ERP) /
  • How to contact first aid attendants
  • Locations of emergency equipment (such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers, spill kits)
  • How to use emergency equipment
  • Evacuation procedures

Job Specific Requirements
Mobile Equipment (Forklift) /
  • Speed limits and locations of travel lanes
  • Load limits and procedures for safe operation
  • Equipment inspection and maintenance
  • How to report deficiencies
  • Use of eye contact between operator and others in the area

Lockout/Tag Out (for vehicles and mobile equipment) /
  • Define lockout
  • When to lockout
  • Types of lockout
  • Review procedures for specific equipment

Safety orientation legal requirements

The company must comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OHSR) requiring that a young or new worker must receive a health & safety orientation and workplace-specific training before the young or new worker begins work. Similarly, the company should also comply with the Canada Labour Code Part II that requires employers to provide the information, instruction, and training necessary for every employee’s health & safety at work, and to make every employee aware of all known or foreseeable health or safety hazards in the area where the employee works.

Under OHSR, the safety orientation should be provided to any worker who is:

•new to the workplace

•returning to a workplace where hazards have changed during worker’s absence

•affected by a change in the hazards of a workplace

•relocated to a new workplace with different hazards from previous workplace

The safety orientation should include:

•general OHS requirements (such as company safety policies, employees’ rights, and injury reporting procedures)

•job specific requirements (such as site job task hazards and safe work procedures)