How the Internal Responsibility System (IRS) Works
Welcome to this IAQCert training program. This course has been developed by experienced professionals and is based on widely recognized industry practices and safety standards. It is designed to strengthen your practical knowledge, improve job-site readiness, and promote responsible, informed work in the field of indoor air quality.
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The Internal Responsibility System (IRS) is the cornerstone of occupational health and safety in Canada. The IRS is a philosophy and legal framework that requires everyone in the workplace to actively share responsibility for health and safety ccohs.ca. This means health and safety isn’t just the job of one person or a single department – employers, supervisors, workers, owners, contractors, and suppliers all have a role to play ccohs.ca. A primary purpose of provincial safety laws (such as Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act) is to facilitate a strong IRS in every workplace ccohs.ca.
Under the IRS, workplace parties are expected to work cooperatively to identify and control hazards, rather than relying solely on external inspectors. If a worker notices a safety issue, they are encouraged to report it, and the supervisor or employer is expected to address it. For example: if a warehouse employee sees a spill on the floor, the worker should either clean it up safely (if trained to do so) or report it immediately. The supervisor should ensure the spill is cleaned and warn others in the area, and the employer should investigate why the spill occurred and implement measures to prevent future incidents. In this way, issues are handled internally and proactively, illustrating the IRS in action.
Key Point: The IRS functions effectively when each level of the organization takes initiative for safety. Workers must follow procedures and report hazards; supervisors must correct unsafe conditions and guide their teams; employers must provide training and resources. This “internal” system of shared responsibility is credited with improving safety culture across Canadian workplaces ccohs.ca. It creates a mindset that safety is everyone’s job, every day, and it underpins the specific rights and duties discussed next in this module.