Joint Occupational Health Safety Committees and Health Safety

							                                          Section 4


  Joint Occupational Health & Safety
   Committees and Health & Safety
           Representatives

          4.10 Reporting Structure
          4.20 Terms of Reference - Joint Occupational Health and Safety
               Committees
          4.30 Terms of Reference - Investigation Team Sub-Committee
          4.40 Terms of Reference - Advisory Group




Nova Scotia Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries                              29/08/01
Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Occupational Health and Safety Program


Program Element:      REPORTING STRUCTURE

Reference:            Occupational Health and Safety Act
                      Section 29-32


INTRODUCTION

The Occupational Health and Safety Act gives employees the “Right to Participate” and in
accordance with Section 4.4 of the Corporate Policy and Sections 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 of the
Occupational Health and Safety Act, each department must make arrangements for occupational
health and safety committees in workplaces where there are 20 or more employees and for
occupational health and safety representatives where there are 5 to 19 employees. Committees that
are composed of staff from more than one government department are not considered acceptable
under the Act. The committees referred to in the Act are local committees. Advisory and Master
Committees are technically not committees under the Act, but rather administrative committees, and
terms of reference must reflect that.

The main role of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee is to provide advice and
recommendations on health and safety issues within the workplace. The traditional role of the
committee has been expanded by the new Act to include the identification of hazards, the effective
response to these hazards and the auditing of compliance with the legislation.

One of the roles of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) includes the
annual review of the Nova Scotia Corporate Policy. All JOHSC members and their alternates review
the Corporate Policy in September of each year. Suggestions for change to the Policy are forwarded
to the NSDAF Manager of Occupational Health and Safety. The Manager prepares a compiled
report for the Deputy Minister and this report is forwarded to the Public Service Commission with
any suggestions for change.

The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Occupational Health and Safety
Committee will provide employers and employees with an organized forum for discussion about
issues concerning workplace health and safety within the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Eight Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees and one Advisory Group are in place in the
Department.




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                               Pictou
           Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee




09/10/03                                                    4.10 .5
Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Occupational Health and Safety Program


Program Element:    TERMS OF REFERENCE -
                    JOINT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE

Reference:          Occupational Health and Safety Act
                    Section 29-32


                        To be completed as JOHSC’s are formed.




09/10/03                                                         4.20 .1
Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Occupational Health and Safety Program


Program Element:          TERMS OF REFERENCE -
                          INVESTIGATION TEAM SUB-COMMITTEE

Reference:                Occupational Health and Safety Act
                          Section 29-32


1.         The Investigation Team Sub-Committee is a standing committee of the Joint Occupational
           Health and Safety Committees.

2.         When either the Supervisor or the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee members
           recommend that an investigation of a concern, complaint or an incident take place, the Joint
           Occupational Health and Safety Committee Co-Chairs will request that the Investigation
           Team members convene a meeting to review any available documentation and undertake an
           investigation.

3.         The Investigation Team will receive, review and make recommendations on all concerns and
           complaints, as well as all incidents, including near misses, that the Joint Occupational Health
           and Safety Committees deem appropriate for investigation.

4.         Each Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee will appoint one member as their
           representative on the Investigation Team. As a result, the Department has at least eight
           trained Investigation Team members.

5.         When the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee or supervisor deems that an
           investigation is necessary, the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee will appoint
           no fewer than three (3) Investigation Team members to conduct an investigation.

6.         The Investigation Team members will serve for a period of two (2) years.

7.         Membership terms, for Investigation Team members, may be extended with the mutual
           agreement of both the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee and the Team
           member.

8.         Names of Investigation Team members will be posted on the Occupational Health and Safety
           Bulletin Boards.

9.         The Investigation Team members can contact the Nova Scotia Department of Environment
           and Labour, the Resources Corporate Services Unit Occupational Health and Safety
           Specialist and any other individuals or agencies as required (ie. police, insurance agencies
           and Workers Compensation).


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10.        The Investigation Team members will outline their plan of action with each investigation that
           they undertake.

11.        The Investigation Team members must receive training in investigation, in order to be a
           member of the Team.

12.        Upon completion of all investigations, a written report must be submitted to the Joint
           Occupational Health and Safety Committee and supervisor as specified by the Joint
           Occupational Health and Safety Committee.




09/10/03                                                                                          4.30 .2
Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Occupational Health and Safety Program


Program Element:         TERMS OF REFERENCE -
                         ADVISORY GROUP

Reference:               Occupational Health and Safety Act
                         Section 29-32


The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has established an Occupational Health
and Safety Advisory Group to ensure that occupational health and safety matters are dealt with in
a consistent fashion within all Branches of the Department and that the policies related to
occupational health and safety are applied consistently to all employees.

The Advisory Group is composed of

           •   one of the co-chairs from each of the eight JOHSC
           •   two management representatives, at least one of which is from NSAC
           •   OH&S Specialist (CSU)
           •   manager OH&S for NSDAF (chair)




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