Health & Safety Committee The Employer agrees to establish a Health & Safety Committee for all employees of the company under the auspices of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The Committee shall be made up of an equal number (not less than one each) of non-bargaining unit and bargaining unit persons who have completed their probationary period. The Union has the right to appoint the members representing the bargaining unit. The Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings and post them in the shop. One copy will be forwarded to the Union office.
Function of Joint Health and Safety Committee All incidents involving aggression or violence shall be brought to the attention of the Joint Health and Safety Committee. The Employer agrees that the Joint Health and Safety Committee shall concern itself with all matters relating to violence to staff.
Health & Safety (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the Home, in order to prevent injury and illness and abide by the Occupational Health and Safety Act as amended from time to time.
(b) A Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) shall be constituted in accordance with the Act, which shall identify potential dangers, recommend means of improving the health and safety programs and obtaining information from the Employer or other persons respecting the identification of hazards and standards. The committee shall meet at least every three months or more frequently if the committee decides. The Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Joint Health and Safety Committee at least one (1) ONA representative selected or appointed by the Union from the Employer. Scheduled time spent in such meetings is to be considered time worked for which representative(s) shall be paid by the Employer at his or her regular or overtime rate. Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and copies shall be sent to the Committee members within two (2) weeks following the meeting, if possible. Minutes of the meetings shall be posted on the workplace health and safety bulletin board.
(c) The Employer shall provide the time from work with pay and all related tuition costs and expenses necessary to certify the worker representative. Where an inspector makes an inspection of a workplace under the powers conferred upon him or her under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Employer shall afford a committee member representing workers the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof. Where a committee member is not available, the Employer shall afford a worker selected by a Union, because of knowledge, experience and training, to represent it, the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof.
(d) Two (2) representatives of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, one
(1) from management and one (1) from the employees, shall make monthly inspections of the work place and shall report to the health and safety committee the results of their inspection. The members of the Committee who represent the workers shall designate a member representing workers to inspect the workplace. Where possible that member shall be a certified member. The Employer shall provide the member with such information and assistance as the member may require for the purpose of carrying out an inspection of the workplace. Scheduled time spent in all such activities shall be considered as time worked.
(e) The Joint Health and Safety Committee and the representatives thereof shall have access to Incident/Accident Report Form required in S.51, S.52 and S.53 of the Act and the annual summary of data from the WSIB relating to the number of work accident fatalities, the number of lost workday cases, the number of lost workdays, the number of non-fatal cases that required medical aid without lost workdays, the incidence of occupational injuries, and such other data as the WSIB may decide to disclose. It is understood and agreed that no information will be provided to the Committee which is confidential. This information shall be a standing item recorded in the minutes of each meeting.
(f) The Union will use its best efforts to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the compliance of all safety rules and practices.
(g) The Employer will use its best efforts to make all affected direct care employees aware of residents who have serious infectious diseases. The nature of the disease need not be disclosed. Employees will be made aware of special procedures required of them to deal with these circumstances. The parties agree that all employees are aware of the requirement to practice universal precautions in all circumstances.
(h) The parties further agree that suitable subjects for discussion at the Union-Management Committee and Joint Health and Safety Committee will include aggressive residents. The Employer will review with the Joint Health and Safety Committee written policies to address the management of violent behaviour. Such policies will include but not be limited to:
i) Designing safe procedures for employees,
ii) Providing training appropriate to these policies,
iii) Reporting all incidents of workplace violence.
(i) The Employer shall:
i) Inform employees of any situation relating to their work which may endanger their health and safety, as soon as it learns of the said situation,
ii) Inform employees regarding the risks relating to their work and provide training and supervision so that employees have the skills and knowledge necessary to safely perform the work assigned to them, When faced with occupational health and safety decisions, the Home will not await full scientific or absolute certainty before taking reasonable action(s) that reduces risk and protects employees.
iii) Ensure that the applicable measures and procedures prescribed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act are carried out in the workplace.
(j) A worker shall,
i) Work in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations,
ii) Use or wear the equipment, protective devices or clothing that the worker's Employer requires to be used or worn,
iii) Report to his or her Employer or supervisor the absence of or defect in any equipment or protective device of which the worker is aware and which may endanger himself, herself or another worker, and
iv) Report to his or her Employer or supervisor any contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or the regulations or the existence of any hazard of which he or she knows.
Joint Health and Safety Committee (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of occupational health and safety in the organization, in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness. The parties agree to promote health and safety throughout the organization. The employer shall provide orientation and training in health and safety to new and current employees on an ongoing basis, and employees shall attend required health and safety training sessions.
(b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Joint Health and Safety Committee, at least one representative from the bargaining unit. The number of committee members will be no less than that determined by legislation and the bargaining unit will be entitled to the same membership as any other employee group on the committees. The Union shall notify the employer of their representatives.
(c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs, and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to occupational health and safety.
(d) The Employer agrees to cooperate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfill its functions. The Committee shall respect the confidentiality of the information.
(e) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full cooperation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices.
(f) Meetings shall be held every third month or more frequently at the call of either co-chair, if required. The Committee shall keep Minutes of all meetings and make the Minutes available for review.
(g) All time spent by a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee attending meetings of the Committee and carrying out the members duties, shall be deemed to be time worked for which the member shall be paid by the Employer at the member's applicable rate of pay, and the member shall be entitled to such time from the member's work as necessary for those duties.
(h) The employer shall take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker. [Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 25
Health and Safety Committee 24.01 The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the home, in order to prevent injury and illness.
24.02 A joint management and employees health and safety committee shall be constituted with representation of at least half by employees from the bargaining unit and of employees who are not represented by the union, which shall identify potential dangers, recommended means of improving the health and safety programs and obtaining information from the Employer or other persons respecting the identification of hazards and standards elsewhere. The committee shall normally meet at least once a month. Scheduled time spent in such meetings is to be considered time worked. Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and copies shall be sent to the Employer and to the Union.
24.03 Two representatives of the joint health and safety committee, one from management and one from the employees on a rotating basis designated by the employees, shall make monthly inspections of the work place and equipment and shall report to the health and safety committee the results of their inspection. In the event of accident or injury, such representatives shall be notified immediately and shall investigate and report as soon as possible to the committee and to the Employer on the nature and causes of the accident or injury. Furthermore, such representatives must be notified of the inspection of a government inspector and shall have the right to accompany him on his inspections. Scheduled time spent in all such activities shall be considered as time worked.
24.04 The Joint Health and Safety Committee and the representa- tives thereof shall have reasonable access to the annual summary of data from The Workers' Compensation Board relating to the number of work accident fatalities, the number of lost workday cases, the number of lost workdays, the number of non-fatal cases that required medical aid without lost workdays, the incidence of occupational injuries, and such other data, as The Workers' Compensation Board may decide to disclose.
24.05 The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full co- operation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices. Employees on the premises are required to respond to the Retirement Residence fire alarm by proceeding directly to their appointed post. Failing to do so may result in disciplinary action.
24.06 The Employer will use its best efforts to make all affected direct care employees aware of residents who have serious infectious diseases. The nature of the disease need not be disclosed. Employees who are not direct care employees will be made aware of special procedures required of them to deal with these circumstances. The parties agree that all employees are aware of the requirement to practice universal precautions in all circumstances.
Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response (applicable to any Party and any subcontractors and sub-grantees whose employees or other service providers deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services): Party shall establish a written workplace violence prevention and crisis response policy meeting the requirements of Act 109 (2016), 33 VSA §8201(b), for the benefit of employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party shall, in preparing its policy, consult with the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Services Workers, as those guidelines may from time to time be amended. Party, through its violence protection and crisis response committee, shall evaluate the efficacy of its policy, and update the policy as appropriate, at least annually. The policy and any written evaluations thereof shall be provided to employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party will ensure that any subcontractor and sub-grantee who hires employees (or contracts with service providers) who deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services, complies with all requirements of this Section.
