OHS Committees, Worker Health and Safety Representatives and Designates
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Committees, Worker Health and Safety (WHS) Representatives, and WHS Designates play an important role in developing a positive health and safety culture in the workplace. They also provide a critical communication link between workers and management.
Employers have a legal responsibility to make sure that OHS Committees, WHS Representative, or WHS Designates is established in their workplace and provide them with the resources necessary to perform their duties.
The duties of an OHS Committee, WHS Representative, or Designate include promoting OHS awareness, participating in workplace inspections, providing advice to correct hazards, resolving work refusals and making recommendations to the employer.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations state requirements for OHS Committees, WHS Representatives and Designates. Below is a Table to help you determine what you need at your workplace.
OHS Committee
An OHS Committee is an advisory group made up of management and worker representatives. The committee encourages collaboration between the employer and the worker to address health and safety concerns in the workplace. Committees identify and evaluate concerns, make recommendations for corrective action and promote health and safety in the workplace to reduce accidents and injuries.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee Requirements
A worksite having 20 or more workers must have a committee. Where a workplace that has more than one worksite (e.g. retail company with stores across the province, school board with schools in a district, etc.) must have a separate committee for each worksite that includes 20 or more workers.
A committee may consist of 2 to 12 members.
At least half of the committee members must be workers who are not connected with management. These workers must be elected by other workers at the worksite or appointed in accordance with the constitution of the union of which the workers are members.
The remaining committee members must be representatives of the employer (e.g. management). The number of employer members must be sufficient for the committee to function, but must not exceed half of the committee. These members may be appointed by the employer.
The committee must have two co-chairs – one representing workers and one representing the employer. The worker and employer co-chairs must be elected by their respective groups within the committee.
A list of committee members must be posted in a prominent location at each worksite.
Committee meetings must be held during normal work hours at least every three months and a worker must not suffer loss of pay or other benefits while engaged in a committee meeting.
Seek to identify aspects of the workplace that may be unhealthy or unsafe.
Participate in workplace inspections.
Receive complaints and concerns from workers regarding health and safety in the workplace. They must also maintain records of the complaints received.
Establish and promote health and safety educational programs for workers.
Co-operate with an OHS Officer exercising their duty under the OHS Act.
The committee may make recommendations to principal contractors, employers, workers and OHS Officers to protect the health safety and welfare of workers at the workplace.
OHS Committee Self-Assessment Tool
This self-assessment tool will allow you to measure your committee’s effectiveness and assess how your committee is functioning, provide an understanding of what is working well, and identify areas that may need improvement.
A Worker Health and Safety (WHS) representative is required at worksites with fewer than 20 employees. The employer must ensure that a worker not connected with management is selected as the WHS representative. The WHS representative must be either elected by their peers or appointed by the labour union. The individual’s name must be posted in a prominent location at the worksite.
Worker Health and Safety Representative Requirements
Monitor the health, safety and welfare of workers employed at the workplace.
Connects the employer and the workers when it comes to addressing health and safety concerns at the workplace.
Consults with the employer while performing their duties or, if the representative is also the employer, consults with workers while performing their duties.
The WHS representative must:
Seek to identify aspects of the workplace that may be unhealthy or unsafe.
Participate in workplace inspections.
Receive complaints and concerns from workers regarding health and safety in the workplace. They must also maintain records of the complaints received.
Establish and promote health and safety educational programs for workers.
Co-operate with an OHS Officer exercising their duty under the OHS Act.
The WHS representative may make recommendations to principal contractors, employers, workers and OHS Officers to protect the health safety and welfare of workers at the workplace.
The WHS representative must be trained in accordance with legislation.
Worker Health and Safety Designate
When a WHS representative is impractical (e.g. companies with high turnover or all part-time staff) and the workplace has less than six employees, an employer may appoint a WHS designate. The WHS designate can be a worker connected with management. If that is not possible, the employer can be the WHS designate.
Worker Health and Safety Designate Requirements
Monitor the health, safety and welfare of workers employed at the workplace.
Connects the employer and the workers when it comes to addressing health and safety concerns at the workplace.
Consults with the employer while performing their duties or, if the designate is also the employer, consults with workers while performing their duties.
The WHS designate must:
Seek to identify aspects of the workplace that may be unhealthy or unsafe.
Participate in workplace inspections.
Receive complaints and concerns from workers regarding health and safety in the workplace. They must also maintain records of the complaints received.
Establish and promote health and safety educational programs for workers.
Co-operate with an OHS Officer exercising their duty under the OHS Act.
The WHS designate may make recommendations to principal contractors, employers, workers and OHS Officers to protect the health safety and welfare of workers at the workplace.
The WHS designate must be trained in accordance with legislation.
