What should I do if my work is not safe?

You can refuse to do a task your employer gives you if you think it's dangerous for you or someone else.

It does not matter if other people did the task before and didn't have an accident.

You don't have to ask anyone for permission before you refuse the task. But you do have to tell your supervisor or employer as soon as possible. You have to tell them why you think the task is not safe.

You can refuse to do a task if you think that:

• equipment you're supposed to use is dangerous
• the place where you work is dangerous because it's in bad condition
• someone else is using equipment or working in a space that's dangerous
• doing the task is likely to put you in danger of violence from someone at your workplace

When you refuse to do a task because you think it's not safe, your supervisor or employer must look into the problem right away to see if they agree.

You must be there when they look at the problem.

If there is someone in your workplace who represents workers on health and safety issues, they should be there too. This could be:

• a worker representative on a Joint Health and Safety Committee
• a health and safety representative
• a safety representative from your union or trade association