Health and Safety Representatives The Employer and its Employees will comply with Part 7 of the OHS Act – Representation of Employees in relation to the establishment of designated work groups and the election of Health and Safety Representatives.
Health and Safety Representative Meetings A Health and Safety Representative will be allowed reasonable paid time during working hours to attend to on the job occupational health and safety matters affecting Employees he/she represents providing that the Representative informs their manager and agreement is reached. At all other times the Representative will perform productive work within his/her range of qualifications and competencies.
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
ARTICLE HEALTH AND SAFETY 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. The Employer shall prepare a comprehensive policy on resident handling and safe work practices within six (6) months of the date of Such policies will be reviewed by the Joint Health and Safety Committee. A joint management and employees’ Health and Safety Committee shall be constituted with representation of at least one-half (112) by employees from the various bargaining units and of employees who are not represented by unions and who do not exercise managerial functions, which shall identify any 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 elsewhere. The committee shall normally meet at least once a month. Scheduled time spent in such meetings is to be considered time worked for which 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. Minutes of the meetings shall be posted on the workplace health safety bulletin board. 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 certified 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 worker certified member is not and available, the Employer shall afford a worker health and safety representative if any, or 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. Two (2) representatives of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, one from management and one 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 certified member or person who is properly trained to inspect the workplace. 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. In the event of accident or injury, such representatives shall be notified immediately and shall investigate and report 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 The Joint Health and Safety Committee and the representatives thereof shall have access to Report Form required in and of the Act and the annual summary of data from the relating to the number of work accident fatalities, the number of lost workday cases, the number of lost workdays, the number of cases that required medical aid without lost workdays, the incidence of occupation injuries, and such other data as the 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. 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. 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.
Work Health and Safety (a) The employer and employee acknowledge their responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012.
(b) Where there is a Work Health and Safety Representative they must be elected and will carry out the tasks associated with the role of Work Health and Safety Representative set out within the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
