Manager Due Diligence: Above & Beyond Your Legal Responsibilities

When managers fail to perform due diligence, they become subject to fines, penalties, and other unwanted actions.

Manager due diligence in the workplace ensures there are no financial consequences attached to carrying out daily operations.

In this issue of the ACT Ontario Workplace Safety Blog, we will explore how manager due diligence plays a pivotal role in workplace safety across Ontario, and how managers, supervisors and organizations as a whole can go above and beyond the bare minimum to enhance workplace safety.

Why Manager Due Diligence is Necessary

Improving workplace safety

Manager due diligence is important to ensure businesses create and maintain a functional workplace safety culture among employees.

Also, manager due diligence is essential to help businesses create a safe working environment for staff.

Prevent against alienating customers

If you run a business that involves direct contact with customers, due diligence is a must.

Improving safety apparatus directed towards catering for customers enhances your business’ relationship with clients.

Lack of proper due diligence by managers could expose customers to untold risk whenever a client visits your workplace.

Preventing unnecessary liability

Being liable to pay heavy fines could cripple operations for some businesses temporarily or permanently.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) outlines five factors to enhance due diligence and prevent liability.

It is important for managers to complete due diligence with laid-down guidelines to prevent paying hefty fines.

In some cases, due diligence could lead to company assets getting seized by authorities.

That is why it is crucial for organizations and workplaces to ensure that due diligence is being carried out properly, consistently and (of course) proactively.

Due Diligence for Managers

Protecting the health and safety of employees

It is the responsibility of managers to ensure all employees have adequate protection when performing duties.

Managers are responsible for providing staff tools, training, and support to ensure smooth operations.

Identifying workplace hazards

Pointing out workplace hazards is another responsibility of managers.

Managers need to initiate a hazard identification campaign in the workplace.

Identifying hazards is an offshoot of providing protection for employees. It also goes a step further to make safety provisions for customers easier to achieve.

Maintaining an open communication framework between management and employees

Ensuring employees get access to communicate with management promotes safety in the workplace.

Employees who have better access to management and who receive critical feedback are more likely to be part of a better culture of workplace safety.

What Can Managers Do Beyond their Legal Responsibilities Regarding Due Diligence?

Routine checks for compliance

Even if it is not a requirement for managers, ensuring compliance to safety protocols is important to smooth operations.

Managers should consider carrying out routine checks to ensure all workplace safety procedures are functional.

Managers can also go a step further to ensure current workplace safety procedures are active in the job site.

Training and retraining staff

Ensuring staff receive proper training on workplace safety measures is another way managers go beyond due diligence.

That’s where ACT comes in.

Advanced Consulting and Training (ACT) – Premium Consulting Solutions for Canadian Businesses

Advanced Consulting and Training provides businesses in Ontario. With our experienced team working for your interests, managers can be sure all responsibilities are fulfilled.

Contact our team today and get the right support and training to fulfill all your management needs without stress.