If you are put in a situation at work which you feel is unsafe, you have the right to refuse to perform unsafe work.

BCGEU Correction Officers and Sherriffs are reminded of Section 3.12 of the Occupation Health and Safety Regulation, titled "How to Refuse Unsafe Work".

If you have reason to believe that the work is unsafe this is the procedure to follow:

• Talk to your supervisor or employer;
• Supervisor must investigate and fix the hazard or let you know that s/he doesn't agree that there is a hazard;
• If you still believe that the work is dangerous then you can continue to refuse and the supervisor must continue the investigation in the presence of the worker and a worker representative from the OH&S committee, a union designate or a co-worker selected by you;
• If the hazard is still not fixed and you consider the work unsafe, you can continue to refuse and both you and the employer must contact the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB). A WCB officer must investigate the matter without delay and issue whatever orders s/he considers necessary;
• You may be reassigned to alternate work, at no loss in pay, while you wait for the WCB officer's decision;
• Always let your shop steward know that you are refusing unsafe work.

Section 3.13 says that you cannot be fired or disciplined by your employer for refusing unsafe work. Any indication of retribution by the employer should be reported to your steward immediately.

The increased violence and assaults on staff over the past several years has led your Component Executive and BCGEU staff representatives to meet with senior Workers' Compensation Board officials.

As a result, there are formal site inspections being conducted at all of BC’s jails. Four of the nine jail inspections have been conducted already. The remaining five are set for this fall.

In solidarity

Component 1 Chair
Dean Purdy

CEP467/cope378