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 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
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.
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
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 & 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:
