Health & Safety
Ensuring student health and safety is a primary concern, and it’s a collaborative effort involving NSCC, the employer and the student. To uphold your well-being, comprehensive insurance and risk management practices are essential.
In line with NSCC’s commitment, thorough risk assessments, mandatory form reviews and signatures, and the implementation of safety plans are integral components. NSCC has a range of insurance policies in place to safeguard students, employees, and the institution itself. These encompass coverage for errors and omissions, general liability, as well as student accident insurance to provide protection in case of any unforeseen accidents or incidents.
Student Insurance
Most students are automatically included in or covered by existing NSCC insurance plans during their participation in work experience endeavors. The Student Insurance Program (SIP) offers protection in case of workplace accidents, covering certain expenses that may not be addressed by the NS Medical Services Insurance Program (MSI) For students coming from other Canadian provinces, the have basic coverage through the equivalent Medical Services insurance program in their home province. The same arrangement applies to Nova Scotia students undertaking work experiences in other provinces. Changing provincial health care coverage is advised only if the student resides in the new province for at least 183 days of the calendar year.
In cases where students are receiving wages as part of their work experience, they are covered by the employer’s workers compensation (WCB) account, considering them as paid employees. Students engaged in paid work experiences are also protected by NSCC insurance plans while actively participating in work-integrated learning activities.
NSCC’s General Liability insurance offers coverage for students at the College in situations where a student is responsible for bodily injury or property damage to a third party while on work experience. Students enrolled in Health and Human Services programs additionally receive medical malpractice coverage.
*For details regarding insurance for international work experiences and/or international students, please refer to the international section of the 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 consults with NSCC’s Occupational Health and Safety team to confirm his/her 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, 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.
Risk Management
A vital component of work experience is ensuring that our students are placed in safe work environments with proper risk management practices in place.
Before commencing any work experience, the employer must complete the Risk Assessment and Compliance Section of the Work Integrated Learning Agreement. This section helps identify potential job hazards and control measures, determine the need for personal protective equipment, and verify the employer’s appropriate liability insurance. The completed agreement must be submitted to the Academic Chair, who will keep it on file throughout your work experience.
Creating a Safe & Respectful Environment
At NSCC, we are fully committed to fostering safe and respectful learning and working environments, where discrimination and harassment have no place, and where learning and teaching can flourish. We are dedicated to treating all members of our community with fairness and equity, maintaining the academic integrity of our programs and curriculum, and ensuring an academic climate that supports learning, free from disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.
To gain deeper insights into NSCC’s unwavering dedication to providing safe and respectful work environments, we invite you to explore our Respectful Community Policy. This policy reflects our commitment to cultivating a positive and inclusive atmosphere for everyone involved in the NSCC community.
