Welcome To The Joint Occupational
Health And Safety Committee
Appointments 2013 Course
Presented By The BCGEU
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THE BCGEU OH&S COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
2013
 Current 3 year terms for BCGEU OH&S
committee members and worker
representatives must be renewed for
December 01, 2013 to November 30, 2016
 Local chairs, 1st and 2nd vice chairs will canvas
worksites to reappoint committee members or
identify new appointees
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APPOINTMENTS 2013
 Local chairs and 1st vice chairs will work with
stewards, other committee members and area
staff representative to make appointments
 1st vice chairs are responsible for OH&S for
the local
 Chairs and vice chairs will receive basic OH&S
information to increase their knowledge and
skills in OH&S
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APPOINTMENTS 2013
 Chairs, vice chairs and area staff will be
provided with materials to assist with the
appointment process
 This session will provide an opportunity to give
feedback on responsibilities, processes and
materials
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HOUSEKEEPING
 Name Cards
 Sign-In Sheet
 Washrooms
 Emergency Exits
 Parking
 Please turn off Cell Phones/Blackberries
 Breaks/Lunch
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HOUSEKEEPING
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First Aid Attendant
Common Courtesies
Materials
Personal Action Plan
Follow-up items
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SESSION 1 − INTRODUCTIONS
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Introduce yourselves
Your local and position
Are you on your workplace OH&S committee?
Your OH&S experience
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INTRODUCTIONS
Small group exercise
Expectations
What do you hope to take away from today's
session?
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AGENDA
 Introductions
 OH&S Rights
 OH&S Legislation
 Joint OH&S Committees
 Committee appointments and reappointments
 Why?
 When?
 Who?
 How?
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course you will:
 Have an understanding of basic OH&S legislation
and worker rights
 Know the roles and responsibilities of the joint
OH&S committee
 Understand your role in the process of appointing
BCGEU OH&S committee members and worker
representatives
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OUR OH&S RIGHTS
 Right to know about workplace hazards
 Right to participate in health and safety
 Right to refuse unsafe work
 Right to no discrimination
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THE WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD
 Also known as WorkSafeBC
 Responsible for compensating injured workers
 Responsible for preventing workplace injuries,
diseases and deaths
 Responsible for enforcement of regulations
 Funded by employers
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THE OH&S REGULATION
The Regulation:
 Core Requirements, Parts 1-4
 General Hazard Requirements, Parts 5-19
 Industry/Activity Specific, Parts 20-33
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NEED TO KNOW REGULATIONS
 Ergonomics
 Working alone
 Prevention of workplace violence
 Indoor air quality
 Chemical and biological agents (WHMIS)
 Asbestos
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THE WCA: PART 3
Division 3 − Employer, worker and supervisor
responsibilities
Division 4 − Roles and responsibilities of the
committee
Division 6 − Protection against discriminatory action
Division 10 − Investigations
Division 12 − Penalties
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WCA Division 3 Section 115
Employers
 Provide a safe workplace
 Provide leadership
 Ensure compliance
 Allocate resources
 Implement committee recommendations
 Monitor and evaluate OH&S program
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WCA Division 3 Section 116
Workers:
 Work safely
 Comply with OH&S regulations and employer policies and
procedures
 Report hazardous and unsafe conditions, accidents and
incidents
 Wear proper protective gear when required
 Co operate with the joint OH&S committee
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WCA Division 3 Section 117
Supervisors:
 Inform workers of any known or reasonably foreseeable
hazards
 Be aware of OH&S regulations applicable to work being
done
 Provide worker safety orientation
 Respond to and resolve reported OH&S concerns
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervisor:
 Ensure workers are trained and qualified to work
safely
 Ensure investigations are conducted
 Support and consult with the joint committee
 Evaluate and support workers
 Ongoing monitoring of OH&S
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THE JOINT OH&S COMMITTEE
 Review WCA Division 4
 Sections 125 - 140
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JOINT OH&S COMMITTEE AND WORKER
REPRESENTATIVES
Small Group Exercise
 Groups go through Workers Compensation Act
Division 4 and answer the questionnaire
 Go through answers with large group
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
Key to joint committee's success
 Agreed to by both parties
 Establishes the rules of operation such as:
 Quorum
 Attendance
 Duties of co-chairs
 Minutes and agendas
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ANNUAL WORK PLAN
 Assists committee with strategic planning
 For example:
 Annual review required for ergonomics
program
 Annual review required for violence
prevention program
 Annual review of committee activities
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PROBLEM SOLVING CYCLE
BASIC OH&S INFORMATION
 Questions?
 Comments
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OVERVIEW
 Appointment of worker committee reps and
worker representatives for December 01,
2013 to November 30, 2016
 Appointments will be made October 01 to
November 15, 2013
 Training sessions held June and September
 Many current committee members will be
reappointed
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OVERVIEW
 Local officers and stewards will canvas
worksites for new committee members or
reappointments
 Local officers will consult with area office staff
representatives on the appointments
 Once local officers approve appointments list
of names is forwarded to area office to issue
appointment letter from the President
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OVERVIEW
 A copy of the appointment letter goes to the
manager/supervisor and to the committee
member
 Committee member appointment information
will be entered into Unionware by the area
staff
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OVERVIEW
 Local officers will conduct canvas through:
 Worksite visits
 Member to member
 Phone or email
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OVERVIEW RESOURCES
 Local chairs will be provided with canvas
forms, surveys and posters
 On line sign up and survey available
 Lists of worksites and current OH&S
committee members
 Book off time
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GOVERNMENT WORKSITES
Article 22 requirements
 In any worksite with less than 9 workers, a
worker rep will be appointed
 Local committees may encompass more that
one component
 Time spent by committee members attending
meetings or other business on days of rest
will receive equivalent time off at straight
time
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GOVERNMENT WORKSITES
 More than one ministry occupies same
location a committee may be established to
include more than one ministry
 Disputes involving committee structures to be
referred to the Article 29 OH&S subcommittees
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NON-GOVERNMENT WORKSITES
 Check the requirements of your collective
agreement
 Committee requirements must comply with
the Workers Compensation Act
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WHO GETS APPOINTED?
 Worker committee reps must not "exercise
any managerial function" (Division 4 WCA)
 Not about union membership
 Union members who are supervisors must
not be appointed as worker reps
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SUPERVISOR
OHS Regulation definition:
 "supervisor" means a person who instructs,
directs and controls workers in the
performance of their duties
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RECRUITING
The persuasion factor
 Group exercise
How are you going to recruit new
committee members and convince current
committee members to serve another 3
years?
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RECRUITING
 People may have an interest in OH&S
 OH&S is way for workplace involvement that
is less political than other union positions
 Committee members have the right to have
annual OH&S education
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RECRUITING
 They become the experts, a resource for their
co workers
 They are saving lives
 The OH&S committee is the only workplace
entity that is required by legislation
 Attending OH&S conferences
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FINAL COMMENTS
 Concerns, thoughts and questions ?
 A second session will be held in September
as a follow up
 Thank you for doing this very important work
on behalf of your members
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