Workplace safety is a joint responsibility of every Engager and every Artist.
All of Equity’s collective agreements and engagement policies include language that addresses safety in the workplace. If you have health and safety concerns about your workplace, speak up!
It’s the Engager’s responsibility to maintain a safe workplace. If you’re unsure who to speak to or how to bring forward your concern, you can always ask the Equity Liaison or the stage manager, or contact Equity for help.
A Business Rep is an Equity staffer responsible for overseeing a production who you can contact with any health and safety concerns. In case of an emergency outside business hours, you can call 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto), press ‘4’ and leave a message asking to be called back.
Beyond the provisions provided in Equity’s collective agreements and engagement policies, there are also laws in place that protect all workers on the job.
As an “employer,” Engagers are required to provide and maintain safe workplaces, as well as information, equipment and training on how to work safely within them. Similarly, “workers,” including Artists, are required to respect safety requirements, and to work in a safe manner at all times. Provincial legislation covers all “employers” and “workers”, no matter how large or small the company, or whether workers are employees or self-employed.
Each province and territory has its own occupational health and safety legislation, and they differ in certain ways, but fundamentally, every worker across Canada is entitled to the Three Rights of Workers:
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and review Ontario’s Safety guidelines for the live performance industry. Regardless of where your production takes place, the guidelines provide important information about industry standards.
Workers are also protected against reprisal for exercising their rights under the applicable workplace safety legislation. This means that workers cannot be dismissed, disciplined, suspended, penalized or intimidated (including threats to do any of these things) for taking good faith steps to ensure their safety in the workplace.
If you feel your workplace is unsafe or are injured in the workplace, please visit the appropriate Workers’ Compensation Board to know what rights you have.
Not all health and safety situations are specifically addressed in Equity’s agreements or engagement policies or provincial law. Developed by Equity’s Physical Health & Safety Task Force, we’re pleased to offer the following best practice guidelines to provide information and tools to help artists stay safe in their workplaces.
Understand how to find reliable information about air quality and pollution, what levels are considered safe, and how these factors may affect you and your colleagues
Understand the risks and recognizing signs of heat stress or heat-related illnesses, as well as methods for prevention and treatment
Understand how to identify and prevent contact with mosquitoes, ticks, bedbugs, and other pests
Equity members and staff collaborated to create these materials. They are based on experiences we’ve all had. Let us know if you find it helpful — or if we’ve missed anything. We appreciate and welcome corrections and additions. As our industry keeps changing, we will keep updating.
You can let us know your thoughts by emailing communications@caea.com. We want these resources to be for all of us, by all of us.
Have questions or need more information?
Contact UsNational Office
44 Victoria St, 12th Floor
Toronto, ON M5C 3C4
Phone
416-867-9165
1-800-387-1856
