Rules of Procedure
A ‘Rules of Procedure’ document is a legislated requirement under the Manitoba Workplace Safety and
Health Act and its regulations. It is a guideline for members of the University of Manitoba’s Local Area
Safety Committees (LASH) to understand how their particular committee functions. It describes the
structure of the committee and how its members are to carry out their duties. While Provincial
legislation states the required duties and actions of a safety and health committee, the Rules of
Procedure are more specific instructions written by the safety and health committee members on how
to carry out those duties (who does what, how, and when).
Guide to completing this template
The questions below will help the LASH committee develop a Rules of Procedure that is specific to the
needs and resources of that committee. These questions, when answered, provide the committee
member’s with a ‘guidebook’ on how this particular LASH committee operates.
The committee may format, design, add to, or otherwise make the Rules of Procedure ‘fit’ into that
faculty’s, department’s, or work area’s scheme of documentation. However, stated within the template
are certain requirements that must be met to be compliant with the law and the University’s policies.
Following each set of guiding questions will be a brief summary of requirements and suggestions printed
in italics.
Please note that these are the basic items that need to be decided upon and documented. Most
committee find it helpful to state things such as how inspection, investigation, and incident reports are
delivered, reviewed, and dealt with (copies sent to all committees or sent to only a few designated
members who will review and summarize reports), etc.?
The idea is to provide enough detail and structure to remove, or at least reduce as much as possible,
vagueness on how ‘my safety and health committee’ operates. The Committee’s Rules of Procedure
document is a living document; it changes as the committee evolves. There is no need to have
everything perfect; especially at the beginning. Consider it continuous improvement.
Please view the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website or contact Joey Bellino at 204-474-6970
for more information.
COMMITTEE STRUCTURE:
What is (or are) the faculty, department, or work area that this safety and health committee
represents?

The university has over 20 LASH committees identified; clearly identified areas of
responsibility will assist persons knowing committee to raise concerns to and for committee
members to focus on a specific area.

It would be helpful for the committee to list smaller departments or unique work
areas/groups.

Physical locations such as building, locations, or even individual floors (for example) would
assist in clarify areas of responsibility.

If the committee becomes too large (more than 12 members), consider having more than
one committee. Or perhaps separate ‘working committees’ that, for example, focusses on a
specific hazard or occupation and these ‘working committees’ report to the LASH committee.
How many committee members should be on the committee to best represent the people and
areas the committee is serving?

Consider the type of work being performed, the number and location of buildings, the
number of faculty, staff, and students.

Diversity is important. It just may be that all work areas cannot be represented. Remember,
the people chosen do not just represent their respective work areas or occupations but
everyone in the faculty or department.

If a union or multiple unions exist in that workplace, the employer is required to consult with
the unions to jointly determine the size of the committee. If there is no union, the employer
must consult with the workers in the workplace.

Some faculties or departments may have ‘satellite’ areas. While it may not be effective to
have a separate safety and health committee for these satellites, a reasonable choice may
be for a representative from that satellite (preferably a worker) to be a member of the faulty
or department’s LASH committee.
How many management members and how many worker members?

Legislation requires that 4 to 12 members are selected to be on the committee and at least ½
of them are representing workers and are not associated with the management of the
workplace.

For example, a LASH committee of 12 members may decide jointly that they need 6
management and 6 workers. Or, they may decide to have more worker representation: 8
workers and 4 management.
How are members selected for this committee?

Management members are ‘appointed’ by more senior management. It is helpful to have
management members on the committee who have some level of authority to make
decisions (including financial).

If a union exists in that workplace, the union is to select worker members to be on the
committee according to their constitution.
o
The union(s) are requested by the employer to select members to be a part of the
committee; while the employer cannot influence the worker member selection
process, it can recommend appropriate work areas/occupations (or similar) that
members be selected from.
o
The employer should provide a reasonable amount of time for the selection process
to take place (a few weeks for example). If the union has not provided members for
the committee by the due date, the safety and health committee is expected to
continue with inspections and meetings as is.

Where there are workers not represented by a union (e.g. EMAPS), the employer shall
appoint one or more workers to conduct an election of a representative for these workers.

The worker members of the committee must select one of the worker members to be a cochair (co-manager) and the management members must select the management co-chair.
o
The co-chairs (‘chair managers’) should be selected by their leadership capabilities -
What are the member’s terms of office?

Legislation states a two-year term for each member. But…

It is suggested that to help ensure continuity and transfer of knowledge, that ½ of the
committee’s member positions are made available for election each year.

Committee members can be re-elected or re-appointed however consideration to include and
develop other staff should be given.
Does the committee want to have ‘alternate’ members available?

Although not a legislated requirement, some committees decide to have alternate people to
fill-in for members of the committee who may not be available to attend a meeting.

These alternate members help ensure that attendance of management and worker
representatives is maintained leading to more effective discussion and recommendations.

Designated alternate members are kept informed of the LASH committee business through
meeting reports (minutes) and emails. They usually do not attend meetings except when
requested by a committee member to stand in for them, or by the co-chairs.

Alternate members usually don’t assist in decision making (‘voting rights’) unless standing in
for a member.
Who is the Administrative Contact (formally called the ‘Management Safety Representative) for the
employer?



The University has the unique position of an ‘Administrative Contact’ whose role is to act as
the employer’s contact person.
This is the person who the committee (usually through the committee’s co-chairs) would
direct any questions or inquiries for the employer, recommendations to the employer, and
requests for safety-related reports and such to.
The Dean, Department Head, or Director appoints the Administrative Contact (often from
their office); the committee should note that person’s name and contact information in this
document.
TRAINING
What training is required for the committee members?

Employers are required to ensure that committee members receive the training to
competently carry out their duties.

Consider what the committee members need to know to be an effective committee –
legislation, duties: roles and responsibilities, inspections, investigations, problem solving,
preparing recommendations, etc. (This does not include training such as first aid or fire
extinguisher training.)

Legislation requires that the employer pay for the greater of 16 hours or the number of hours
the worker normally works during two shifts for training (for each member). Training may be
done by an external service provider, done in-house by the university, or even self-train.
Training must be documented.

Records must be maintained for committee member training.
INSPECTIONS
It is common for new workplace safety and health committees to focus on identifying just safety hazards
(such as an occasional missing fire extinguisher, burnt-out light bulb, tripping hazard, housekeeping
issue, etc.), during their scheduled inspections. But these are items that should have really been
addressed by the workers and supervisors in the area as the problems occur. While it’s great that the
committee finds these issues and notifies the person in charge of the area for corrective action, the
committee’s inspections real intent is to identify a problem with the ‘larger picture’, e.g. – why are there
many current safety and health programs or systems? The committee should focus on identifying
trends or wide spread issues and develops solutions to these and makes recommendations to the
employer.
What are the areas to be inspected?

A reasonable attempt must be made by the committee to inspect the workplace at least
once before each scheduled safety and health committee meeting. Regulations state that
this must include work processes and procedures.

Develop a list of areas to be inspected; buildings, floors, work areas, and etc. Consider the
number of areas and the resources available including time and labour.
Who will inspect these areas?

Assign committee members to the list of areas to be inspected. The members could inspect
the same area each time or they could rotate through the list.

Decide how the committee members will carry out the inspections – could be a group, 2person team, or individuals.

If using a team or group approach and one member is unable to attend; recommend that the
inspection is carried out anyway and as best as possible.

Consider having members from different LASH committee to assist in an inspection – and
reciprocating.
Where will the inspection report go to?

Recommend a copy be given as soon as possible to the Dean, Department Head, or Director
responsible for that area inspected and the committee co-chairs.

If a safety and health concern that may be immediately dangerous to anyone is identified,
contact the area’s supervisor, Physical Plant, or EHSO as appropriate, for assistance. It must
be dealt with urgently.
Who will follow-up on the inspection report and the status of corrective actions needed?

The co-chairs could be responsible for following-up or individual members be designated for
each issue.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
How often will the committee be expected to meet?

Legislation requires that the committee meets at regular intervals not exceeding three
months apart (or shorter if directed by Workplace Safety and Health).

A recommendation is that committees more often, perhaps monthly, at the beginning of the
committee formation. This permits timely training, development as a team (who does what
best), and resolves the possible backlog of safety and health concerns to deal with. The
committee then can adjust the meeting frequency to make the committee effective.

A schedule, even just tentative is helpful for members to plan their work schedules. This may
just state the months the committee will be meeting (eg. Jan, Mar, May, etc. or a more
specific statement: the last Thursday of each month. This may include time or that can be
decided by the committee co-chairs when the send out an agenda.
Where will the meeting be held?

Will the meetings be expected to be held at the same location each time or will that be
decide by the co-chairs when the send out an agenda?

Consider ‘rotating’ the location of meetings if the committee has multiple worksites or
locations allowing for the members to better understand and know each workplace (such as
any satellite workplaces).
What types of other meetings may need to be called for the committee?

Note that a special meeting of the LASH committee may be called at any time at the request
of the committee’s co-chairs or a Workplace Safety and Health Officer (usually due to a
serious incident).
What will the committee do if quorum (½ of the worker members and ½ management members)
isn’t reached?

While attendance is important (after all, being on the committee is a part of the job – not a
volunteer position), there may be times quorum won’t be met. It is recommended that the
committee meeting continue as planned and as best as possible. The lack of quorum can be
noted in the meeting report (the minutes).

If enough committee members have stated their regrets (planned absence with an
explanation) to the co-chairs; will the co-chairs reschedule the meeting?

The employer should note the frequency and number of absent members and investigate.
MEETING REPORT (minutes):
Who will take notes of the meeting and prepare a report for the co-chairs to review?

A report of the meeting is a legislated requirement. The purpose of the meeting report is not
to serve as a ‘reminder’ to committee members what was discussed 3 months ago. It must
be considered an official documented report of the LASH committee’s activities; not just the
meeting itself.

If possible, arrange for someone not on the committee to take the notes. Each committee
member needs focus on the issues at hand and to participate during the meeting.

It is not a verbatim statement of what was said during the meeting. It is a summary of the
identified safety and health problems/concerns/issues that were brought forward, discussed,
and the actions the committee will do in an attempt to resolve them. It may be a written
recommendation to the employer, it may be to seek additional information, or transfer the
issue to the appropriate person or department.

After each topic has been dealt with, the note taker should summarize to the committee, the
discussion and action plan in a brief statement or two to ensure accuracy and clarity. Or, this
can be done just prior to adjourning the meeting.

Respect and dignity for committee members and all others must be maintained at all times.
This meeting report (minutes) is a public document – all workers, management, students
have access to these meeting reports and are expected to review and comment. Workplace
Safety and Health Branch of Manitoba’s Immigration and Labour (provincial regulators)
review and follow-up on workplace’s safety and health committee’s reports.
Who will ensure meeting reports (minutes) are sent to the co-chairs for review and then sent to
EHSO and the Province?

Committee reports (minutes) copies are required to be sent (preferably emailed) to the
Workplace Safety and Health Branch within 7 days of the meeting.
The following text taken from the MB Workplace Safety and Health Act may assist in developing the
LASH committee’s guidebook (the Rules of Procedure). Also, the relevant sections of the legislation are
posted on the ESHO’s ‘Safety and Health Committees’ website.
DUTIES OF COMMITTEE – Workplace Safety and Health Act W210, Section 40 (10)
The duties of a committee include:
a. the receipt, consideration and disposition of concerns and complaints respecting the safety and
health of workers;
b. participation in the identification of risks to the safety or health of workers or other persons,
arising out of or in connection with activities in the workplace;
c. the development and promotion of measures to protect the safety and health and welfare of
persons in the workplace, and checking the effectiveness of such measures;
d.
co-operation with the occupational health service, if such a service has been established within
the workplace;
e. co-operation with a safety and health officer exercising duties under this Act or the regulations;
f.
the development and promotion of programs for education and information concerning safety
and health in the workplace;
g. the making of recommendations to the employer or prime contractor respecting the safety and
health of workers;
h. the inspection of the workplace at regular intervals;
i.
the participation in investigations of accidents and dangerous occurrences at the workplace;
j.
the maintenance of records in connection with the receipt and disposition of concerns and
complaints and the attendance to other matters relating to the duties of the committee; and
such other duties as may be specified in this Act or prescribed by regulation.
Consider how the LASH committee will carry out these legislated duties.