We recognize that staying on top of occupational health and safety (OHS) can be difficult for small businesses. However, all jurisdictions have minimum OHS requirements for employers.
The basis of all OHS within a workplace is a health and safety policy. This is a written commitment from the employer that outlines how they will approach health and safety.
Depending on the number of employees, an occupational health and safety program (OHSP) may also be required. This is a version of an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) that is more manageable for smaller workplaces. The health and safety program of each workplace will be unique to the hazards found in the workplace.
Small businesses with outdoor workers should recognize the sun as a workplace hazard and implement processes to keep workers safe as part of their health and safety program.
Across jurisdictions, some elements are common to all health and safety programs. Elements of our Model Sun Safety Program align to these common elements. We developed a fact sheet for small employers to help build a more manageable version of a sun safety program. The table below helps to link small workplaces to the relevant pages on this website:
| Common Elements of a Health & Safety Program |
Model Sun Safety Program Elements |
|---|---|
|
OHS Policy/Policy Statement |
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Assign responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities for OHS matters and the program |
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Responsibilities of and support for the health and safety representative/officer or committee |
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Identification and assessment of workplace hazards |
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Control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks from the hazards identified |
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Inspection program |
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Worker training and education |
Sun Safe Administrative Controls (including training & education) |
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Emergency preparedness, including first aid requirements |
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Incident reporting and investigation |