OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 34.01 The parties recognize the need for a safe and healthy workplace. The Employer shall be responsible for providing safe and healthy working conditions. The Employer and Employees will take all reasonable steps to eliminate, reduce or minimize all workplace safety hazards. Occupational health and safety education, training and instruction provided by the Employer, shall be paid at the Basic Rate of Pay, to fulfill the requirements for training, instruction or education set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation or Code.
(a) There shall be an Occupational Health and Safety Committee (Committee), which shall be composed of representatives of the Employer and representatives of the Local and may include others representing recognized functional bargaining units. This Committee shall meet once a month, and in addition shall meet within 10 days of receiving a written complaint regarding occupational health or safety. An Employee shall be paid the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay for attendance at Committee meetings. A request to establish separate committees for each site or grouping of sites shall not be unreasonably denied. The Employer shall provide training at no cost to all Employees on the Committee to assist them in performing their duties on the Committee. Training shall be paid at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.
(b) Minutes of each meeting shall be taken and shall be approved by the Employer, the Local, and other bargaining groups, referred to in (a), prior to circulation.
(c) The purpose of the Committee is to consider such matters as occupational health and safety and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(d) If an issue arises regarding occupational health or safety, the Employee or the Local shall first seek to resolve the issue through discussion with the applicable immediate supervisor in an excluded management position. If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily, it may then be forwarded in writing to the Committee.
(e) The Committee shall also consider measures necessary to ensure the security of each Employee on the Employer’s premises and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(f) (i) Should an issue not be resolved by the Committee, the issue shall be referred to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A resolution meeting between the Local and the CEO, or designate(s), shall take place within 21 calendar days of the issue being referred to the CEO. The CEO or designate(s) shall reply in writing to the Local within seven (7) calendar days of the resolution meeting.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
(a) The parties agree that a joint occupational health and safety committee will be established. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. The Committee shall be between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. The Union agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care unions, where more than one union is certified with the Employer, a joint union/employer committee for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
(b) Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the Joint Committee. Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages to participate in joint workplace inspections and joint accident investigations at the request of the Committee pursuant to the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Committee meetings, workplace inspections and accident investigations shall be scheduled during normal working hours whenever practicable.
(c) The Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall have as part of its mandate the jurisdiction to receive complaints or concerns regarding workload problems which are safety-related, the right to investigate such complaints, the right to define the problem and the right to make recommendations for a solution. Where the Committee determines that a safety-related workload problem exists, it shall inform the Employer. Within 21 days thereafter, the Employer shall advise the Committee what steps it has taken or proposes to take to rectify the safety-related workload problem identified by the Committee. If the Union is not satisfied with the Employer's response, it may refer the matter to the Industry Trouble shooter for a written recommendation.
(d) No employee shall be disciplined for refusal to work when excused by the provisions of the
Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee The Employer and the Union recognize the role of the joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee in promoting a safe and healthful workplace. The parties agree that a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall be established for each Employer covered by this Collective Agreement. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Act. The Committee shall be as between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. Representatives of the Union shall be chosen by the Union membership or appointed by the Union. All minutes of the meetings of the Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee will be recorded in a mutually agreeable format and will be sent to the Union. The Union further agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care Unions a Joint Union Committee for the purposes of this Article. The Employer agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Employer members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. The Union agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Union members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. Such training and orientation shall take place within six (6) months of taking office.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (a) It is a mutual interest of the parties to promote health and safety in workplaces and to prevent and reduce the occurrence of workplace injuries and occupational diseases. The parties agree that health and safety is of the utmost importance and agree to promote health and safety and wellness 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. Accordingly, the parties fully endorse the responsibilities of employer and employee under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, making particular reference to the following:
Occupational Health and Safety Act The Employer, the Union, and the Employees recognize they are bound by the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, S.N.S. 1996, c.7, and appropriate federal acts and regulations. Any breach of these obligations may be grieved pursuant to this Agreement.
CONTRACT WORK HOURS AND SAFETY STANDARDS As per the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3701-3708), where applicable, all Customer Purchase Orders in excess of ,000 that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers must include a provision for compliance with 40 U.S.C. 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5). Under 40 U.S.C. 3702 of the Act, each contractor must be required to compute the wages of every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work week. The requirements of 40 U.S.C. 3704 are applicable to construction work and provide that no laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or under working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the purchases of supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available on the open market, or contracts for transportation or transmission of intelligence.
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.
Environmental, Health and Safety Matters Except as set forth in Section 3.18 of the Sellers Disclosure Letter:
(a) The Transferred Entities are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Environmental Laws, including holding and complying in all material respects with all permits, certificates, licenses, approvals, registrations and authorizations required under Environmental Laws for their operations.
(b) The Transferred Entities are not subject to any pending Action or written notice from a Governmental Entity alleging that the Transferred Entities are in violation of, or have liability under, any Environmental Law.
(c) To the Knowledge of Sellers, there has been no Release of Hazardous Materials at any Business Real Property in an amount, manner or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Transferred Entities under applicable Environmental Laws.
(d) Sellers have made available to Purchasers copies of all material written environmental assessments, audits, and reports in their possession and relating to the Business or any Business Real Property.
(e) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, none of the Transferred Entities have any outstanding material indemnification obligation, or any unresolved material enforcement action or liability, pursuant to any Environmental Law, including but not limited to, any investigation, cleanup, removal action, response action, remediation, or corrective action obligation, relating to the Business Real Property or, to the Knowledge of Sellers, to any (i) formerly owned or operated property, or (ii) offsite disposal location.
(f) None of the Transferred Entities has treated, stored, disposed of, arranged for or permitted the disposal of, transported, handled, or released any Hazardous Material in material violation of any Environmental Laws, or in a manner that would reasonably be expected to result in material liability (including, but not limited to, any material obligation to conduct an investigation, cleanup, removal action, response action, remediation or corrective action) to any of the Transferred Entities under applicable Environmental Laws.
(g) To the Knowledge of Sellers, neither this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will result in any obligations for site investigation or cleanup, or notification to or consent of any Governmental Entity or third parties, pursuant to any of the so-called “transaction-triggered” or “responsible property transfer” Environmental Laws.
Environmental Health and Safety i. Environment, Health and Safety Performance. Seller acknowledges and accepts full and sole responsibility to maintain an environment, health and safety management system ("EMS") appropriate for its business throughout the performance of this Contract. Buyer expects that Seller’s EMS shall promote health and safety, environmental stewardship, and pollution prevention by appropriate source reduction strategies. Seller shall convey the requirement of this clause to its suppliers. Seller shall not deliver goods that contain asbestos mineral fibers.
Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee The Employer and the Union 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 as a member of its Accident Prevention - Health Safety Committee at least one representative selected or appointed by the Union 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 co-operate providing necessary information to Committee to its functions. Meetings shall be held every second month or more frequently at the call of--the chair required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available for review. Any representative appointed or selected in accordance with hereof shall serve for a term of one calendar year from the date of appointment, which may be renewed for further periods of one year. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Acci- dent Prevention - Health & Safety Committee in accord- ance with the foregoing shall be granted and time so spent attending such meetings shall be deemed to be work time for which the representative(s) shall be paid by the Hospital at his regular or premium rate as may be applicable. The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices. 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. If 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 maternity leave referred to in Article Where the Hospital identifies high risk areas where employees are exposed to Hepatitis the Hospital will provide, at no cost to the employees, a Hepatitis B vaccine.
