Joint Health & Safety Committees Roles & Functions

Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that every workplace with over 19 employees have a joint worker/management health and safety committee.  Legal requirements clearly define the role, responsibilities and administrative accountabilities of the committee and its members.  This course will assist you to understand the roles and legal responsibilities of committee members, how management is expected to deal with committees, the process of developing a committee or improving an existing one. Committee members will learn how to hold productive meetings, be effective in their legislated duties and provide pro-active recommendations.

You Will Learn:

• The roles, rights and responsibilities of a committee, according to existing legislation;
• What a Committee can and cannot do, according to existing legislation;
• What is the legislated required composition and structure of a committee;
• What to do, in the event you have no volunteers for committee membership;
• The importance of having regular meetings, keeping minutes, setting objectives and establishing terms of reference;
• What factors and steps need to be considered and are necessary to make sound recommendations;
• How to develop and present effective recommendations
• How to develop an effective presentation/recommendation to management;
• How to select an effective Chairperson;
• What is required from a Chairperson, in order to ensure effective leadership;
• The specific responsibilities of a Chairperson and the individual Committee members;
• The specific rights and responsibilities of management when dealing with a Committee.

Course Length: up to 4 hours or as One-Day Training Workshop – Maximum: 16 participants

Methodology:
Lecture, videos, overheads, discussion of workplace-specific forms/documents (provided by instructor and any provided by client) and discussion generated by question and answer periods.

Logistics:
The Training takes place on client’s premises. The assigned training area will need to be equipped with tables and chairs to accommodate up to 16 participants. Training equipment, such as Flip Chart/White Board and Audio/Video will be discussed with client as to availability/requirement at time of scheduling course.