HEALTH AND SAFETY 7A01 The parties to this Collective Agreement endorse the importance of a safe and secure environment, in which nurses must work. The parties will work together in recognizing and resolving Occupational Health and Safety issues. 7A02 In accordance with the Workplace Safety and Health Act, the Employer agrees to make reasonable and proper provisions for the maintenance of a high standard of health and safety in the workplace and will provide safety and personal protective equipment where required and install safety devices where necessary. 7A03 The Workplace Safety and Health Committee shall cooperate with Union representation for the purpose of ensuring health and safety in the workplace and the identification of health and safety hazards. On an annual basis the Workplace Safety and Health Committee will be provided with and will review the Critical Incident Stress Response policy, security/response plans and all other applicable policies and regulations. The Employer will make available where it exists, support through the Critical Incident Stress Response (CISR) team, or where there is no CISR team, appropriate Critical Incident support, to a nurse affected by a Critical Incident, an incident or circumstances that are deemed by the nurse to be outside the normal experience of their duties/workplace, and/or upon request of the nurse, or the manager on behalf of the nurse. Where the Employer, does not currently maintain a CISR team, they shall provide the Union with the specifics of how nurses are provided support similar to that provided by CISR teams, and through what programs and/or services. Where maintenance of CISR teams is no longer reasonably possible the Employer shall provide the Union as much notice as possible and the parties shall meet to discuss what options are to be implemented to continue provision of similar support to nurses. The Employer will communicate to members the option to activate CISR as well as provide information as to the nature of the support provided by the CISR teams. The parties agree that there shall be a dedicated mental health support unit (over and above EAP), funded by PCOC, and established exclusively for nurses in the bargaining unit. The parties agree to establish a committee within sixty (60) days of ratification of this agreement to establish the scope, duties and terms of reference of the mental health support unit. 7A04 The Employer and the Union agree that no form of abuse, harassment or bullying of nurses will be condoned in the workplace. Both parties will work together in recognizing, facilitating the reporting of alleged abuse and resolving such problems as they arise. There shall be zero tolerance of abuse, harassment or bullying. Any nurse who believes a situation may become or has become abusive, harassing or bullying shall report this to the immediate supervisor. The Employer shall notify the Union ninety-six (96) hours after the receipt of the report. Every reasonable effort will be made to rectify the abusive situation to the mutual satisfaction of the parties. Any workplace injury or harmful exposure suffered by a nurse shall be reported to the Union no later than ninety-six (96) hours after the report/notification is made to the Employer. Such report to the Union will include the name of the affected nurse, if the nurse agrees, and a brief description as to the mechanism of injury/exposure. In regards to respectful workplace; there shall be a policy supporting a Respectful Workplace which shall be provided to the Union, and shall be reviewed annually by the Workplace Health and Safety Committee. Such policy shall address the issue of communication strategies, which will include signage. The Employer’s Respectful Workplace policy shall include a commitment to conclude the investigation as quickly as is reasonably possible. Where a respectful workplace complaint is filed by a nurse, the Employer shall notify the Union of such complaint no later than ten (10) business days following receipt of the complaint. Where the Union has concerns regarding the impartiality of an Employer conducted Respectful Workplace Investigation, the Union shall have the right to request the investigation be conducted by an individual from outside the work site. The Employer shall give all due reasonable consideration to such request. If a Respectful Workplace Investigation is conducted, a report of findings, or a summary of the report will be shared by the Employer with the complainant and respondent nurse(s). Where a summary is provided, rather than the full report the Union may request and the Employer shall provide the rationale for the provision of a summary rather than the full report. The complainant and respondent may share the report/summary with the Union if they wish. 7A05 At the request of a nurse, the Employer shall provide, at no cost to the nurse, vaccination(s) and/or immunization(s) for occupational illness(es) in accordance with the Canadian Immunization Guide from the Laboratory Centre for Disease for Health Canada. All reasonable efforts should be made to provide immunization(s) to the nurse during their regularly scheduled work hours. 7A06 Rehabilitation and Return to Work Program - The Employer agrees to actively participate and facilitate the rehabilitation and return to work of ill, injured or disabled nurses even when they are not covered under the D & R, WCB or MPI programs. For clarity, where a nurse is waiting for a decision from D & R, WCB, or MPI and has been medically cleared to return to work, the Employer will pay for all return to work hours. It is understood that the nurse will reimburse the Employer once their claim is accepted. Any such nurse will be supernumerary in nature when reasonably possible. The Union shall be notified by the Employer if there is a request for a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Program for a nurse. The Employer shall include the Union in the initial meeting with the nurse to review the provisions of the program to ensure that the work designated is within their restrictions and limitations. If required, the Employer shall schedule subsequent (progress) review(s) with the Union and the nurse and may proceed without the Union’s involvement subject to the Union’s concurrence. Where appropriate, by agreement between the Employer and the Union, job postings may be waived.
Environment, Health, and Safety (a) To the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, except as disclosed in Disclosure Schedules 3.16(b), (d), and (e), the Acquired Companies have complied with all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws. No action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim, demand, or notice has been filed or commenced against any of the Acquired Companies alleging any failure to so comply. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, the Acquired Companies, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, have obtained and been in compliance with all of the terms and conditions of all permits, licenses, and other authorizations that are required under, and have complied with all other limitations, restrictions, conditions, standards, prohibitions, requirements, obligations, schedules, and timetables that are contained in, all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws.
(b) Except as disclosed in Disclosure Schedule 3.16(b), neither the Acquired Companies nor AIDEA with respect to the Acquired Companies, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, has any Liability arising out of events or circumstances occurring under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws for contamination of, damage to, or polluting any site, location, property, natural resources, the air, or any body of water (surface or subsurface), or for any illness of, or personal injury to, or death of, any employee or other individual related to the foregoing.
(c) To the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, all equipment and personal property owned, leased, or used in the Operations are and have been free of hydrocarbon contamination, asbestos, PCBs, dioxins, and any other hazardous, toxic, radioactive, or dangerous substances, except for the liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas the Acquired Companies produce, store, and handle, and except for the fuel, lubricants, refrigerants, and solvents that are used in the ordinary course of business in conducting the Operations. The liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas of the Acquired Companies, and the fuel, lubricants, refrigerants, and solvents used in its Operations, have all been stored, handled, transported, used, and disposed of in accordance with all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws and consistent with all standard industry practices.
(d) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(d), all real property the Acquired Companies owns is, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, free from contamination by any substance regulated under, or defined as or considered “hazardous” or “toxic” or “radioactive” or “contamination” or “pollution” under, any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws, including but not limited to hydrocarbons, asbestos, PCBs, and dioxins. AIDEA has provided IGU with true and complete copies of all environmental assessments, studies, and reports (1) of which AIDEA and the Acquired Companies have Knowledge and (2) that reference the real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses. Although neither AIDEA nor the Acquired Companies has conducted any environmental assessments regarding the leased real property used by the Acquired Companies, neither AIDEA nor the Acquired Companies has Knowledge of any environmental contamination on or under the portions of any leased or used real property where any of the Operations have been conducted.
(e) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(e), neither the Acquired Companies nor AIDEA has Knowledge of any leak, spill, release, discharge, or disposal of any substance regulated under, or defined as or considered “hazardous” or “toxic” or “radioactive” or “contamination” or “pollution” under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws that has occurred on, in, or under the real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses, or has ever owned, leased, or used, in conducting the Operations, that was reportable or should have been reported to any government or governmental agency, or that was or could have been subject to clean up or remediation, under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws.
(f) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(f), to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, there is no underground storage tank present on any real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses or has owned, leased or used, in conducting the Operations.