Safety Stand Down
January 27, 2023: In 2022 the U of A participated in a Safety Stand Down to address gaps related to 1) supervision, 2) hazard assessment, 3) training & competency and 4) emergency preparedness. More than 1000 units participated in the process.
From January to April 2023, HSE will be visiting 10% of units (randomly selected) to validate results and ensure that all safety concerns have been addressed. If your unit is selected, HSE will contact you to set up a site visit; ensure that documentation of Stand Down activities is available for review.
What is a Safety Stand Down?
A safety stand down is a meeting intended to address gaps in health and safety in a workplace. It is:
- A proactive event to prevent work-related fatalities and injuries
- An opportunity to:
- confirm our shared health and safety responsibilities
- talk specifically about safety and to reset expectations
- identify any gaps in safety practices and take corrective action
At the University of Alberta, safety stand down meetings are about the need for the university to reset its health and safety practices and to embed safety as a core value in everything that we do.
Why was the 2022 Safety Stand Down necessary?
The safety stand down was in response to several serious and preventable incidents that have occurred recently, in research laboratories and facilities across the university. To reaffirm its commitment to safety, the U of A called on supervisors to acknowledge their roles and responsibilities related to safety practices and to implement measures related to supervision, hazard assessment, training, and emergency preparedness.
What happened during the Stand Down?
On March 15, 2022, U of A senior leadership held a Safety Stand Down meeting to determine next steps for university units.
Refer to this process guide or see the key dates below:
Date |
What's happening |
| March 15–16 |
Faculties and areas appointed individuals to collect information from Safety Stand Down meetings. Representatives attended a session to understand the process for hosting Safety Stand Down meetings. |
| March 17 | Safety Stand Down Meeting information sessions. Recording/presentation |
| March 18–25 | Supervisors hosted Safety Stand Down meetings with individual units/areas. |
| March 25–April 15 | Form 1 - Safety Stand Down Acknowledgement and Potential Deficiencies circulated to supervisors for completion by their units/areas. Individual units and areas examined their worksite to determine if there are any deficiencies. |
| April 15 | Deadline for units/areas to confirm that meetings have been completed. Supervisors completed and submitted Form 1 - Safety Stand Down Acknowledgement and Potential Deficiencies. |
| April 15–May 13 | Form 2 - Safety Stand Down: Area Response circulated to supervisors for completion by units/areas. |
| May 13 | Deadline to complete form 2. |
Resources
- Supervisors should review the following instructionals to address safety deficiencies related to:
- Safety Stand Down Process and Guide for Supervisors and Principal Investigators: This guide is intended to help groups identify areas of concern and provide links to available resources.
- Safety Stand Down Email Template: This is a draft email that unit leaders can use to share safety stand down information with supervisors.
- Safety Stand Down Presentation Template: This presentation template is for individual units/areas to help guide their meeting.
- Supervisor's Guide to Running Safety Stand Down Meetings: This tip sheet includes information for supervisors and leaders.
- March 17 Senior Leader/Unit Safety Stand Down Information Session: presentation/recording
For more information, contact hse.info@ualberta.ca