Health & Safety
Student health and safety is a shared responsibility among NSCC, the employer and the student. Insurance and risk management practices are of the utmost importance in ensuring the health and safety of our students. To demonstrate NSCC’s due diligence, it is important that a risk assessment is completed, required forms are reviewed and signed, and safety plans are in place. NSCC maintains several insurance policies to protect employees, students, and the organization. These include errors and omissions, general liability, and student accident insurance should any accidents or incidents occur.
Student Insurance
During work experience activities, most students are automatically enrolled in or covered by existing NSCC insurance plans. Our Student Insurance Program (SIP) Accident insurance protects students in the event of a workplace accident for some expenses not covered by NS Medical Services Insurance Program (MSI). If the student is from another province in Canada, they have basic coverage provided by the equivalent Medical Services Insurance program from their home province. The same is applicable for students from Nova Scotia who intend to complete their experiences in another province.
As paid employees, students are covered by the employer’s WCB (Workers Compensations Board) account while on their work experiences. Additionally, students engaged in paid experiences are protected by existing NSCC insurance plans during their work-integrated learning activities.
Health & Human Services program students also benefit from medical malpractice coverage.
NSCC’s General Liability insurance protects students and the College if a student causes bodily injury or property damage to a third party while on work experience.
*For information on insurance for international work experiences and/or international students please refer to the international sections of this guide*
Employer Insurance
For the safety and protection of our students, NSCC typically requires employers to carry a general liability insurance policy of at least $2 million dollars. This ensures that employers promote safe workplace practices and effective risk management.
In some cases, employers may not carry the minimum general liability insurance required. In such instances, NSCC may still consider work experiences with these employers, subject to a thorough assessment process:
- The student, supervising faculty, and the employer jointly complete the Work Experience Agreement form.
- The assessment is reviewed by the Academic Chair, who assesses the level of risk involved.
- If the Academic Chair is comfortable with the level of risk, they consult with NSCC’s Occupational Health and Safety team to confirm their assessment of the risk.
- With all in agreement, the Academic Chair and supervising faculty sign-off on the agreement.
Exceptions to this process are NOT possible for work experiences in industrial, construction, healthcare, aviation, mining, marine or other high-risk settings.
For more detailed information, please refer to the Work-Integrated Learning Insurance Guidelines available under the Hire a Student section on NSCC’s website.
By collectively prioritizing health and safety, we can create a secure and nurturing environment that fosters exceptional learning experiences for our students.
Risk Management
An integral aspect of cultivating valuable work experiences involves ensuring that our students are placed within secure work environments that adhere to robust risk management protocols. Faculty members play a pivotal role in approving work experiences and scrutinizing risk management strategies alongside employers. Employers are tasked with articulating safety initiatives, sound work methodologies, and precautionary measures in place to safeguard the well-being of students. To facilitate these discussions and aid students, faculty, and partners in identifying and acknowledging various risk factors, the College, through Career & Employment Services, has developed a range of forms and checklists.
Prior to the start of a work experience, both faculty and students bear the responsibility of collaboratively completing the Work Experience Agreement in conjunction with the employer. This agreement serves to pinpoint potential occupational hazards and corresponding control measures, determine if personal protective equipment is needed, and verify the industry partner’s possession of adequate liability insurance. Both you and the Academic Chair should keep the completed work experience agreement during the student’s work experience.
Safe & Respectful Environment
NSCC is dedicated to creating a secure and inclusive atmosphere for both students and staff, where learning and working can take place without any form of discrimination or harassment. We are equally dedicated to treating all members of our community fairly and equitably. This commitment extends to upholding the academic integrity of our programs and curriculum, fostering an environment conducive to learning, and preventing disruptive or inappropriate behavior.
This extends to a student’s work experience. All students and their supervisors, co-workers, clients, vendors and faculty have a right to be treated with respect.
To learn more about NSCC’s commitment to providing safe and respectful work environments, please visit the Policies and Procedures section of the NSCC website.
