Health & Safety

 

All workers have the right to come home each day to their families, safe and sound. Workplace injuries and fatalities are unacceptable.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), which sets out the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers. The main purpose of the act is to protect workers’ health and safety on the job. The OHSA establishes procedures for identifying and dealing with workplace hazards, and it provides for enforcement of the law when compliance is not achieved voluntarily.

Safe At Work Ontario is the province’s workplace health and safety compliance strategy. This strategy focuses on improving workplace health and safety through education, training, and enforcement of provincial legislation and regulations.

Essential to the success of this strategy are the system's education and prevention partners. These include the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and Ontario's Health and Safety Associations (HSAs).

The ministry's main concern is enforcement of the OHSA; the WSIB focuses on prevention; and the HSAs concentrate on training and education.

 

 

What is a Joint Health & Safety Committee

 



What is a joint health and safety committee?

 

In the Canadian legislation, occupational health and safety committees are mentioned under slightly varying names. We have used the name joint health and safety committee to reflect its composition. The committee may also be known as the industrial health and safety committee, joint work site health and safety committee, occupational health committee, workplace safety and health committee, or health and safety committee.

A joint health and safety committee (JHSC) is a forum for bringing the internal responsibility system into practice. The committee consists of labour and management representatives who meet on a regular basis to deal with health and safety issues. The advantage of a joint committee is that the in-depth practical knowledge of specific tasks (labour) is brought together with the larger overview of company policies, and procedures (management). Another significant benefit is the enhancement of cooperation among all parts of the work force toward solving health and safety problems. In smaller companies with fewer than a specified number of employees, a health and safety representative is generally required. Consult health and safety legislation applicable to your workplace for details.


Who is responsible for establishing a joint health and safety committee?

 

Employers are responsible for establishing workplace health and safety committees. Most Canadian health and safety legislation set guidelines for organizing the committee, the structure of the committee, meeting frequency, and the roles and responsibilities of committee members.

Employers establish terms of reference applicable to the formation, structure and functioning of the committee. Such terms of reference must ensure:

  • compliance with the OHS legislation
  • effectiveness of the committee in meeting workplace specific needs
  • widest possible employee involvement


What does a joint health and safety committee do?

 

Activities of the JHSC include:

  • participate in development and implementation of programs to protect the employees safety and health,
  • deal with employee complaints and suggestions concerning safety and health,
  • ensure the maintenance and monitoring of  injury and work hazard records,
  • monitor and follow-up hazard reports and recommend action,
  • set up and promote programs to improve employee training and education,
  • participate in all safety and health inquiries and investigations,
  • consult with professional and technical experts,
  • participate in resolving workplace refusals and work stoppages,
  • make recommendations to management for accident prevention and safety program activities, and
  • monitor effectiveness of safety programs and procedures.


Is a committee or a representative required by law?

 

A Joint Health and Safety Committee or the appointment of representatives is either mandatory or subject to ministerial decision in all Canadian jurisdictions. Certain types of workplaces may be exempt from this requirement, depending on the size of work force, industry, accident record, or some combination of these factors. Consult the most up-to-date applicable legislation to find out what are requirements for your workplace.


What are the sources of legislation regarding joint health and safety committees?

 

The following are references to the provincial and federal legislation where you will find the guidelines for joint health and safety committees from the different jurisdictions in Canada. Since legislation is amended from time to time, the jurisdictions should be contacted for the most current information.

Canada

Canada Labour Code, Part II (R.S.C. 1985, C. L-2), Sections 135 to 137