According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Part II Section 9, all organizations with 20 or more employees* must establish a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) that is representative of all areas and departments of the workplace.
The objectives of the JHSC are to provide a non-adversarial environment in which labour and management can work together to ensure a healthy and safe working environment.
The four main functions of the JHSC are as follows:
- Identify potential hazards in the workplace
- Evaluate potential hazards that have been identified
- Recommend corrective action
- Follow up to ensure implementation of corrective actions
The size of an organization’s JHSC will vary depending on the size of the workforce, but as a general rule, at least half of the committee members should be representatives of the labour workforce that do not have managerial responsibilities.
The JHSC should meet regularly, at least quarterly, to inspect the workplace for hazards.
You must train and certify at least one managerial representative and one worker representative on the committee. The JHSC members will become involved in issues such as bilateral work stoppages, inspections and safety-related complaints.
More information on the JHSC can be found here.
*In cases where designated substances such as asbestos are present in the workplace a JHSC must be formed regardless of the number of employees
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