2. Refuse to do work that’s not safe

If you and your employer can't agree on how to solve the safety problem and you truly believe that your work is not safe, you can refuse to do it.

Tell your supervisor or employer that:

• you still think the situation is unsafe
• you will not work until they fix the problem

If your employer argues with you, you can tell them that you're “exercising your rights” that are part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Refusing to do work is very serious because it starts a special process, which includes a workplace investigation.

You should always first try to find another way to solve the problem. But don't be afraid to refuse to do work if you really think it's dangerous.

Once you refuse to do work because it's not safe, your employer must investigate the problem while you stay in a safe place.

While this is happening, the law says that your employer cannot:

• force you to do the work until it's safe
• punish you for not doing the work

Your employer must pay you for the time you spent trying to fix the problem or helping your employer to investigate the problem. You should get paid your usual rate of pay for this time.