Health and Safety Representative and Joint Health and Safety Committee
COR Element 16: Health and Safety Representative and Joint Health and Safety Committee is focused on regulatory requirements for ensuring that the Internal Responsibility System (IRS) is functioning within the workplace.
Ontario has specific requirements dealing with the selection and implementation of Health and Safety Representatives (H&S Rep) and Joint Health and Safety Committees members (JH&SC). These are roles that an employer must ensure are in place. The H&S Rep and JH&SC help close the loop on the safety process and bring to life the right to participate.
Employers must comply with all legislative requirements. H&S Reps are required whenever a project has five or more regularly employed workers. The position of H&S Rep then becomes a function of the selected worker's role. Members are democratically selected by their peers and the employer must provide the prescribed mandatory training. H&S Reps are involved in workplace inspections, work refusals, and any Ministry of Labour (MOL) worksite interactions.
If the construction organization has a worksite at which twenty or more workers are regularly employed for a period of three months or longer, they will need to establish a JH&SC. A constructor or employer shall ensure that at least one member of the committee representing the constructor or employer, and at least one member representing workers, are certified members of the JH&SC.
The COR audit tool verifies that an organization being audited meets the implementation and use requirements of H&S Rep and JH&SC. A COR Auditor will examine and evaluate the following:
Availability of documented procedures describing the roles and responsibilities and/or establishment criteria for JH&S committees.
Proper processes are in-place for the selection or appointment of a H&S Rep, where required.
Health and safety inspections of the workplace are routinely performed and documented.
Evidence of the collection, review, corrective actions, implementation of actions, and follow-up on H&S Rep. and JHSC recommendations is readily available.
Selection and composition of the JH&SC complies with legislative requirements.
Posting of JH&SC members' names and work locations on site is properly enacted.
Frequency of meetings being conducted is appropriate.
Meeting minutes are documented and available on demand.
The IRS depends on the participation of all required workplace parties. Do your H&S Reps and JH&SC carry out their occupational health and safety act duties? As the employer, are you responding, within the specified timeframe, to issues raised by H&S Rep and JH&SC?
If you would be interested in a mini assessment of your current COR journey or are looking for an external auditor, we would be happy to help you. Please feel free to contact us at:
roger.belair@onsitehse.com or inquiry@cssp-inc.com
Presented by Roger Belair and Jason Colucci - Approved COR Associate Auditors.
