Health & Safety

Work place health and safety committees must be established in work places where there are 20 or more employees. At least half of the committee members must be employees who do not have managerial functions. Each work place health and safety committee is required to meet 9 times a year, at regular intervals and during regular working hours. If circumstances make additional meetings necessary, they should be held during or outside regular hours, whatever is required.

Powers and Duties

The work place health and safety committee will:

  • consider and expeditiously dispose of health and safety complaints;

  • participate in the implementation and monitoring of programs for the prevention of work place hazards;

  • participate in the development, implementation and monitoring of programs to prevent work place hazards, if there is no policy committee in the organization;

  • participate in all of the inquiries, investigations, studies, and inspections pertaining to employee health and safety;

  • participate in the implementation and monitoring of a program for the provision of personal protective equipment, clothing, devices, or materials, and, if there is no policy committee, participate in the development of the program;

  • ensure that adequate records are kept on work accidents, injuries and health hazards;

  • cooperate with health and safety officers;

  • participate in the implementation of changes that may affect occupational health and safety, including work processes and procedures, and, if there is no policy committee, participate in the planning of the implementation of those changes;

  • assist the employer in investigating and assessing the exposure of employees to hazardous substances;

  • inspect each month all or part of the work place, so that every part of the work place is inspected at least once a year; and

  • participate in the development of health and safety policies and programs, if there is no policy committee.

The committee may request from an employer any information that it considers necessary to address work place hazards. It has full access to all government and employer reports, studies and tests relating to the health and safety of employees. Of course, it does not have access to an individual’s medical records without the individual’s consent.

Source: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/lp/lo/ohs/publications/6b.shtml

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