The Role of Committees and Representatives

Occupational Health and Safety Committees are required for any workplace with 10 or more workers. Some workplaces with between 5-9 workers are required to appoint an Occupational Health and Safety Representative. When developing a Harassment Prevention Policy employers must consult with their workplace’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee or Representative. If the workplace does not have one the employer must consult directly with the workers.

Other duties of Committees and Representatives include:

• Helping employers identify and control health and safety hazards in the workplace.
• Talking with workers about health and safety concerns and helping resolve their concerns.
• Receiving and distributing information to workers about health and safety.

Employers must make sure that committee members or representatives have a reasonable opportunity to...

• inform workers about their rights
• receive and investigate concerns of workers

The committee or representative must be provided time to do the above during regular working hours and without loss of pay or other benefits.

If the employer does not resolve a health and safety issue raised by a committee or representative, they must provide the committee or representative with written reasons for not doing so. After this the employer, the committee, any member of the committee or the representative can refer the matter to an Occupational Health Officer.