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It is an interest that he insists should be shared by everyone at the University, and with good reason. New federal legislation came into force this spring that can hold individuals-as opposed to institutions-criminally liable for health and safety infractions. That means managers, faculty members, and even students, might find themselves personally responsible for problems that crop up during situations like a sweeping power failure.
“This extends all the way from boards of governors to the lead hands of a group of plumbers,” says Histed. “It includes everybody.”
Nor is it any longer a matter of dealing with extreme situations like blackouts. New legislation covers day-to-day issues that most of us have taken for granted.
This change follows the passage of Bill C-45, which was spawned by the coroner's inquest into the Westray Mine disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia. Twenty-six miners lost their lives in the mine, in 1992, because of a complex chain of negligence and misunderstood responsibilities. The resulting law is intended to clarify official accountability in cases where health and safety are at stake.
“This is a new world we're living in,” Histed says, noting that it is impossible to overlook the social and cultural effects of the New York terrorist attacks in 2001. “The way people view risk today is very different. You don't think now in terms of what is traditionally acceptable.”
If a researcher is working with a type of virus, for instance, we might have once worried about whether this biological material was properly stored in the laboratory. Now, Histed points out, we want to know such details as who has access to the laboratory, a question that could result in the need to carry out security checks on anyone working with that researcher.
In this way, life can suddenly become more complicated for people who may not be aware of risk-related issues surrounding their work or themselves. Orders for chemicals from the United States could be seriously delayed-and research activities along with them-if a University official fails to request the proper permit to get this material across the border.
Similarly, faculty members wishing to take their students to exotic locales may not realize just how much personal liability they are assuming in doing so.
“People make the assumption that if they work with the University, they must be covered for everything they do,” says Histed, who cautions that this is not necessarily the case.
He therefore advises people to check with his office if they have any questions. In a environment that imposes more legal restrictions than it once did, Histed offers his service as an efficient means of getting on with business as usual.
“If we can work together, we can help to not only mitigate the risk but also do it with minimal impact on the average researcher and the activities of the University,” he says.
