Health, Safety and Environmental Services
Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Services is an integral part of SAIT's commitment to be an innovative organization equipping people to compete successfully in the changing world of work by providing relevant, skill-oriented education.
Water quality testing
Updated Nov. 24, 2023
SAIT’s campus is home to legacy buildings, with Heritage Hall completed in 1922. In the 1950s, campus grew with the addition of the Thomas Riley and John Ware buildings, followed by E.H. Crandell and Senator Burns buildings. As with any older infrastructure in our city, the structures were built to the code of the time, which included materials no longer in wide use for construction.
Initial water quality testing results in these legacy buildings showed some anomalies in a handful of bathrooms in Senator Burns, Thomas Riley and E.H. Crandell with levels of some inorganic substances above recommended guidelines. Out of an abundance of caution, SAIT placed signs in the bathrooms of these buildings indicating bathroom faucets should be used for handwashing only.
As a follow-up to the initial testing undertaken, SAIT is collaborating with experts from the City of Calgary’s Water Quality and Regulatory Assurance group in order to ensure proper representative sampling is undertaken. With the City’s advice and guidance, it has been determined there are six locations that require further testing. These six locations will be resampled using the City’s intensive water testing protocols to confirm if any issues exist and remedy these if required.
E.H. Crandell
- West side men’s washroom sinks
Senator Burns
- Second-floor men’s washroom sinks
- Third-floor men’s washroom sinks
- Fourth-floor men’s washroom sinks
- Ninth-floor men’s washroom sinks
Thomas Riley
- TT women’s washroom sinks
We encourage the continued use of newly installed water bottle-filling stations in all buildings across campus for your drinking water needs. The use of bathroom sinks is intended for hand hygiene purposes only.
We continue to test water quality at typical use areas across campus, and are committed to providing confidence to members of our SAIT community about the quality and safety of our water.
HSE purpose
HSE Services provides guidance and direction to the SAIT community to achieve a safe working and learning environment.
HSE Services is committed to:
- helping academic schools, departments and other community members achieve and maintain compliance with all applicable occupational health, safety and environmental legislation;
- assisting the SAIT community in preventing work-related injuries and illnesses;
- providing guidance, direction, and training to recognize and eliminate or control hazards;
- utilizing industry best practices, industry-standard investigative and inspection techniques, and sound occupational hygiene principles;
- investigating all occupational health, safety, environmental and occupational hygiene concerns brought to the department's attention;
- recommending corrective action;
- supporting and promoting safe, secure, and environmentally sound working and learning environments;
- and improving safety at SAIT.
Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Services is a branch of the Facilities Management department. SAIT staff and instructors are encouraged to refer to SAITNOW for detailed HSE information.
Health, Safety and Environmental Management System (HSEMS)
SAIT has a comprehensive Health Safety and Environmental Management System. The HSEMS:
- provides the SAIT community with the standards, information, and procedural guidelines needed to create safety procedures specific to work and learning environments at SAIT;
- outlines codes of practice that provide specific instruction on safe work practices as required by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation;
- and meets or exceeds the requirements of federal and provincial health, safety and environment legislation.
Employer responsibilities
According to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act:
- students are considered "workers"
- the province of Alberta is considered the "employer" of SAIT students
- SAIT has a duty of care to its students
- SAIT, as an employer, shall ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of its workers and of others, including students, who may be affected by the work
- As an employer, SAIT shall ensure that its workers and others at SAIT, including students, know their responsibilities under the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation, and Code.
The Board of Governors of SAIT protects the health and safety of all employees, students, contractors, and visitors that make up our community.
Senior executives and management are responsible for providing resources necessary to fulfill legislative responsibilities and HSEMS policies and practices.
All SAIT employees are responsible to comply with the requirements of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code and with SAIT HSE policies and procedures as outlined in the HSEMS.
SAIT Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Committees are responsible to:
- assist management, workers, students and contractors in completing incident investigations, workplace inspections and hazard assessments;
- review any changes in programs and procedures that may have an impact on the health and safety of employees or on the environment.
Instructors are considered supervisors under the Alberta OHS legislation because of their supervisory role over students. Instructors are responsible for the following:
- enforce safety rules;
- encourage and reinforce safe behaviour;
- instruct students on safe processes/practices/procedures regarding their daily assignments;
- ensure that students perform all appropriate duties regarding safe processes, practices, procedures, policies, etc.;
- ensure that students are trained in the use, care and limitations of personal protective equipment (e.g., earplugs, safety glasses, respirators, etc.);
- ensure that students use PPE when required;
- and ensure the proper use and maintenance of equipment and tools.
Student responsibilities
Students are considered workers under Alberta OHS legislation. Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation requires workers (including students):
- to work safely;
- to co-operate with their employers, managers or instructors by following health and safety rules for the tasks at hand;
- to take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and other workers.
Every worker in Alberta has three rights:
- The right to know their hazards.
- The right to participate in health and safety activities.
- The right to refuse unsafe work.
Under Section 35(1) of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, employees/students have the right and obligation to refuse unsafe work where an imminent danger exists to the health and safety of themselves or other workers present at the worksite. The employee/student must notify his/her supervisor/instructor as soon as practicable regarding the equipment, situation, condition or circumstance.
Student safety orientation and training
Student safety orientation and training are provided by your program.