Federal Health and Safety Committee Effectiveness

Presented by: Ivan Rodriguez IHSA Safety Groups and COR Consultant irodriguez@ihsa.ca

3

Housekeeping Information

4

IHSA Harassment Policy

IHSA is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for our own staff and every person who participates in IHSA training programs.

5

Please Note

• This presentation is for information purposes only.

• This is not a training session.

6

Internal Responsibility System

• Everyone in the workplace has duties and responsibilities for health and safety. Many of these duties and responsibilities are contained in the Canada Labour Code Part II.

• Health and Safety Committees play an important role within the IRS.

• It is based on the principle that people in the workplace are in the best position to identify health and safety issues and provide effective solutions.

• Effective self-reliance and continuous improvement is the key to the success of your health and safety program.

7

Occupational Health and Safety Program

It’s the employer’s responsibility to implement an occupational health and safety program to prevent workplace injury, illness and disease. If an employer has a good health and safety program and is attentive to health and safety practices, he/she is likely to be successful in avoiding incidents and injuries.

8

An effective committee will have:

• Member commitment

• Members who bring different skills, strengths, weaknesses and personalities to the meeting.

• Employer/employee support and involvement

• Effective communication, participation, teamwork and problem solving processes

• Budget

• Terms of Reference

• Effective Meetings

• Supported Workplace Inspections/Investigations

• Education and Training

9

Large Group Discussion

What are some of the barriers to having an effective committee?

10

What can make a committee ineffective:

• Lack of knowledge of roles and functions in the work place;

• Senior management lacks visible involvement and support and this can affect the committee’s profile and ability to exert workplace influence;

• Lack technical skill and knowledge and this impedes their ability to identify and effectively address key hazard issues;

• Lack of organizational skills reduce their ability to operate with any sustained level of efficiency or effectiveness.

11

What can make a committee ineffective:

• Too much time spent on “fix-it” items which should be dealt with routinely by line management.

• Adversarial rather than “cooperative” atmosphere prevails.

• Inadequate “resources” provided.

• Management fails to “address” committee recommendations.

12

Getting Started:

13

1. Determine number of Committee members:

Minimum = 2 or 4 members At least 50% of members must be worker

representatives Factors to consider include: Efficiency Number of employees Degree of hazards in the work place Number of places of employment Number of unions or worker groups Need to represent different shifts/departments

14

2. Select worker representatives and alternates :

Select from workers who do not exercise managerial functions

Union workers: select according to union(s) established procedures

Non-union workers: elect by secret ballot

Determine number of union and non-union worker representatives in equitable proportion to their relative numbers and health and safety risks

15

3. Select employer representatives and alternates

Select from among persons who exercise managerial functions

For an effective committee, employer representatives should have authority to take immediate action on committee recommendations

16

4. Post the names of Committee members:

Include work locations and phone extensions

List alternate members

17

5. Set first monthly meeting date and agenda:

First meeting activities should include:

1 co-chair selected by worker representatives

1 co-chair selected by employer representatives

Review draft Terms of Reference

Review sample meeting agenda and meeting report

18

6. Draft Committee Terms of Reference:

Name of health and safety committee

Constituency

Statement of Committee Purpose

Composition

Co-chairs

Terms of Office

Amendments

Duties and functions

Records

Meetings

Agendas and minutes

Recommendations

19

Duties and Functions

20

Duties common to all committees include:

• attending all committee meetings

• promoting health and safety at all times

• acting as a sounding board on workers' acceptance of health and safety policy

• receiving, considering and resolving worker health and safety complaints

• providing feedback on workers' suggestions

• promoting and monitoring compliance with health and safety regulations

• attempting to raise health and safety standards above legal requirements

21

Duties commons to all committees include:

• investigating and advising on refusal to do unsafe work cases

• assisting in the training of new workers • participating in the identification and control of physical

hazards • participating in assessments and the development of

control programs for hazardous substances • participating in incident/injury investigations and inquiries • studying safety programs of other companies to enhance

own program (i.e. IHSA Safety Groups) • consulting on health and safety education programs • making health and safety recommendations

22

Duties common to all committees include:

• carrying out audit inspections

• advising on personal protective equipment

• maintaining records of near misses/incidents/injuries

• monitoring effectiveness of health and safety program

• assisting in the development of health and safety rules

• assisting in the development of safe work procedures

• initiating other activities as indicated by incident/injury experience

23

List of member duties:

• Duties should be produced in written form, posted in the workplace, and a copy issued to each committee member. This document may be used as a briefing/training guide for new members, and as an information source for all workers.

24

Carrying out duties:

• Constraints may be imposed by conflicts of interest, personality, or pressure of external priorities.

These situations should be resolved as soon as they become evident, to enable the committee to concentrate on its prime objective: health and safety.

25

Extent of authority:

• As with duties, each member must know the extent of his/her authority in dealing with safety matters. The written statement of authority should be reviewed with each committee member, and his/her understanding of it confirmed.

26

Chairperson's duties:

• The committee chairpersons (co-chairs) must assume extra responsibilities. On committees with co-chairpersons or alternating chairpersons, a decision should be made whether these responsibilities are shared all the time or taken in turn.

27

Specific chairperson's duties may include:

• scheduling meetings, notifying members • preparing an agenda • inviting specialists or resource persons as required • presiding over meeting • guiding meeting as per agenda • ensuring all discussion items end with a positive

decision • reviewing and approving the minutes • assigning projects to members • ensuring that the committee carries out its function

28

The Chairperson

• Your chairperson has several important roles:

– Know your group

– Help members get started

– Plan ahead

– Prepare for meetings

– Preside at meetings

– Evaluate meetings

29

The Chairperson

• Some key suggestions to enhance the meeting process are as follows:

– Encourage participants to remain focused on the topic

– Only one person should speak at a time

– Avoid sidetracking with unrelated issues

– Prepare and distribute an agenda ahead of time

– Keep the focus on the issue, not the “personality”

– Listen to all sides of the discussion

30

Are the secretary's duties clearly specified?

The secretary's duties may include:

• keeping pertinent records

• reporting on the status of recommendations

• preparing the minutes/agendas

• distributing the minutes after approval

• distributing safety information to members

• assisting the chairpersons as required

31

Records

32

Records

• The committee will keep accurate records of all matters that come before it

• These records will include correspondence, briefs and reports, test results, records of employee training, hazard documentation

• The committee will maintain copies of records and minutes for a period of time from the date of the committee meeting to which they relate

• Period of time for federal companies is 2 years

33

Meetings

34

Meetings

Every organization has meetings, but not all of those meetings are effective. To make yours effective, you need to consider at least five components:

– An effective chairperson

– An agenda

– A process for making decisions

– A well-managed discussion

– A productive physical set-up

35

An agenda

An agenda is a step-by-step outline of the points to be covered at a meeting. This should be distributed several days prior to the meeting to ensure committee members have time to prepare for the meeting.

36

Elements of an Effective Discussion

Some possible techniques:

• Ask each group member for their input using one sentence

• A survey

• Buzz groups

• Brainstorming

37

Handling Conflict

1. Recognize that there is a conflict and what it is about, or in other words, identify the problems.

2. Collect all information relating to the conflict, share it and help to assess the cause or causes; equally important, ensure that all parties concerned understand all the information. Thus, areas of agreement between two sides can be identified and positions of others known.

38

Handling Conflict

3. Propose possible solutions which will include openly sharing feelings about the conflict situation and consequences of the proposals.

4. Find a mutually acceptable resolution without coercion.

5. Carry out the agreement and evaluate its effectiveness, with both (or all) parties sharing in the evaluation.

39

Physical Set-up

• A seating arrangement which allows group members to see each other

• Proper lighting

• Size of the room

• Good acoustics

• Comfortable temperature and proper ventilation

• Writing materials and space

• Rest rooms, refreshments

• Audio visual aids

40

How to set up an effective meeting

41

The Agenda

Your agenda could include the following: • Roll call • Approval of the previous minutes • Unfinished business • Concerns • Review of near misses and incidents • Review of employer and government reports related to

occupational health and safety • Special assignment reports by members and

subcommittees • Progress reports on the H & S program • New business • Adjournment

42

Using your agenda more effectively!

• The early part of the meeting is usually the most lively and creative so place key items early on the agenda!

• The order of items influence the atmosphere so you may want to start with items that unite the group.

43

Using your agenda more effectively!

• Put time limits on agenda items to help focus discussion and encourage decision making. It is the co-chair’s responsibility to ensure the timelines are respected.

• Review the agenda at the start of the meeting.

44

The Minutes

A basic set of minutes should include: • The name of the committee • When and where the committee met • Who chaired the meeting and who was present • Adoption of the last meeting’s minutes • Old business • New business • Recommendations • Agenda items for the next meeting • The time and place of the next meeting • The secretary and chairperson’s signatures

45

Using your Minutes effectively!

Effective minutes will:

• provide a permanent record of the proceedings of a meeting;

• Keep track of progress;

• Inform absent members;

• Help familiarize new members with the committee;

• Be completed promptly and distributed and posted in a timely manner;

• Be used as communications tool to share health and safety successes in the workplace.

46

Recommendations

• Effective committees have a written procedure in place to develop recommendations. The committee should have two options:

– Deal with the issue immediately!

– Create a recommendation.

47 47

Developing a Recommendation

Discuss the issue that requires action. Can employer rep make a decision?

NO YES (Record decision in minutes, including responsibility and

timelines. Move on to next issue) Develop a

Recommendation

48 48

Develop a Recommendation

Basic Issue Complex Issue

Describe OH & S Issue What, Why,

Who, Where, When

Provide Recommendation And Suggested Timeline

Developing a Recommendation

49

Complex Issues Requiring a Formal Recommendation:

• Policy, directive or procedure creation or revision

• Changes to equipment, office layouts or product purchasing normally requiring allocation of funds

• Training or orientation programs for employees.

• Commitment and follow-up to issues where earlier approved corrective action has been ignored or gone unnoticed.

• Matters which require review and/or agreement of other divisions, department, areas, etc.

50 50

Develop a Recommendation

Complex Issue (Research required)

Describe OH & S Issue What, Why, Who, Where, When

Are there specific OH & S legislation or standards that apply?

Describe Options

Developing a Recommendation

51 51

Describe Options

Explain Recommended Options

Provide Recommendation and Suggested Timelines

(for each step if necessary)

What steps are required? How well will this option

fix the problem? How long will it take? How much will it cost? Who will be affected?

Why did the committee decide to recommend

this option?

Developing a Recommendation

How an employer should respond to a Committee Recommendation

Developing a Recommendation

53

Review Recommendation

Can the employer respond within 21/30 Calendar Days?**

NO YES

Inform Committee of Delay (In Writing)

•Identify Reasons •Identify when employer will respond

Developing a Recommendation

54

Responding to a Recommendation

Employer Responds in Writing

Accept Recommendation? •Identify action employer will take •Identify who will be responsible

•Identify timeframe for implementation/completion

Reject Recommendation? •Identify Reasons for rejecting

the recommendation

Committee to Revisit •Review reasons for rejection •Modify recommendations

55

Training for Committee Members

Canada Labour Code Part II

Policy Committees, Workplace Committees and Health & Safety Representatives Regulations

Part 3 – Health and Safety Training Program

Section 14

Came into effect on September 14, 2015

56

Training for Committee Members

14. (1) For the purposes of paragraph 125(1)(z.01) of the Act, the training that the member of a policy committee or work place committee or health and safety representative is to receive is developed by the employer after consultation with the policy committee or the work place committee or the health and safety representative and must cover at a minimum the following aspects:

(a) the Act and any regulations made under it;

(b) the means that allow the committee member or the health and safety representative to fulfil their responsibilities under the Act;

(c) the rules and procedures of each of the committees; and

(d) the principles of consensus building regarding health and safety issues.

(2) The health and safety training program must be reviewed and updated at least once every three years, and whenever there is a change of circumstances that may affect the content of the training.

57

Characteristics of Effective Committees

58

Characteristics of Effective Committees

1. Pro-active!

2. Create Best Practices!

3. Use new ideas for identifying and analyzing hazards!

4. Promote safety awareness beyond the committee!

5. Network!

6. Annual summary of accomplishments, successes and activities!

7. Eyes and Ears of the company as monitoring body for health and safety program!

59

Please give us your feedback.

Thank you for attending!