Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee (a) The Hospital and the agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the hospital in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness. its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Hospital agrees to accept of its Accident Prevention -Health and Safety by the Association from amongst bargaining unit employees. 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 safety and health. The Hospital agrees to cooperate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to its functions. In addition, the Hospital will provide the Committee with reasonable access to all accident reports, health and safety records and any other pertinent information in its possession. Meetings shall be month or the call of the Chair, if required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available review. Any representative appointed or selected in accordance with hereof, shall serve for a term of at least one calendar year from the date of appointment. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee in accordance with foregoing, shall be granted and any representative(s) attending such meetings during their regularly scheduled hours of work, shall not lose regular earnings as a result of such attendance. The Association agrees to endeavour to obtain the full cooperation of its membership the observation of all safety rules and practices. All time spent by a member of the Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee attending meetings of the Committee and carrying out her duties, shall be deemed to be work time for which she shall be paid by the Hospital at her regular rate and she shall be entitled to such time from work as is necessary to attend scheduled meetings. Pregnant employees may request to be transferred from their current duties if, in the professional opinion of the employee’s physician, the pregnancy may be at risk. such a transfer is not feasible, the pregnant employee, if she so requests, will be granted an unpaid leave of absence before commencement of the current contractual maternity leave. Where the Hospital identifies high risk areas where nurses are exposed to infectious or communicable diseases for which there are available protective medications, such medications shall be provided at no cost to the nurses. NOTE: Issues relating to chairing of meetings and responsibility for the taking of minutes should be discussed locally with the Hospital and the other Unions representing employees of the Hospital. The Association may hold meetings on Hospital permission has been first obtained from the Hospital. The Association shall keep the Hospital notified in writing of the names of the nurse representatives and/or Committee members and Officers of the Local Associationappointed or of their respective appointments. reference to nurse representatives, committee members and officers in this Agreement shall be deemed to mean nurse representatives, committee members or officers of the Local Association. The Hospital agrees to give representatives of the Ontario Nurses’ Association access to the premises of the Hospital for the purpose of attending grievance meetings or otherwise assisting in the administration of this Agreement, provided prior arrangements are made with the Administrator. Such representatives shall have access to the premises only with the approval of the Administrator which will not be unreasonably withheld. Where a nurse makes prior arrangements for time off from a tour of duty, the nurse shall not be scheduled to work another tour that day. Nurses who are members of committees pursuant to Regulation of the working hours for attending committee meetings. Where a nurse attends a committee meeting outside of regularly scheduled hours, she will be paid for all hours spent in attendance at meetings at her regular straight time hourly rate.
