Safety Rights

Nurses have three fundamental rights when it comes to health and safety. These rights are protected by occupational health and safety law.

The Right to Know – you have the right to be informed of existing or potential hazards in your workplace (e.g. a patient with a history of violence)

The Right to Participate – you have the right to engage in the process of identification, investigation, review (e.g. you have the right to participate in the activities of the local safety committee, or in an investigation about a hazard you identified)

The Right to Refuse – you have the right to refuse unsafe work (e.g. you can refuse to work with an infectious patient unless you are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment)

NSNU Safety Form

Nurses are required to report safety concerns directly to their employer (through SIMS, ERS, SafeLine, etc.), however this can sometimes mean the union is left out of the loop and unaware of these issues, as NSNU is not privy to the employer’s reporting systems. To help fill that gap, the NSNU has a mechanism for nurses to inform the union of safety incidents and concerns they have. All members are encouraged to complete and submit the form whenever you encounter such an occurrence, so that they union is well positioned to assist you in handling the issue. Forms are submitted to the NSNU website and then flagged for NSNU staff (and others) to respond.

You will need your login credentials to access the form. If you need assistance in retrieving your username and password, please contact nsnu.office@nsnu.ca.

Access the Safety Form on Members Only