A joint health and safety committee (JHSC) is a workplace group of worker and management representatives that identifies hazards, inspects the workplace and recommends improvements to occupational health and safety.
A joint health and safety committee (JHSC) is a group made up of worker representatives and employer representatives who work together to identify and address health and safety issues in a workplace. The committee meets regularly, inspects the workplace, reviews incidents and makes recommendations to the employer for improvements. The word "joint" reflects the fact that both workers and management share responsibility for the committee and its work.
The term is most closely associated with Canada, where most provinces and the federal jurisdiction require joint committees in workplaces above a certain size. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), for example, uses the term "joint health and safety committee" directly. Other jurisdictions use names such as joint occupational health and safety committee, workplace health and safety committee or simply safety committee.
JHSCs are a key part of what Canadian law calls the internal responsibility system. Under this idea, everyone in the workplace, from senior managers to front-line workers, has a role in health and safety, and the committee provides a structured way for workers to participate and for concerns to reach decision makers. The committee advises and recommends; the employer remains responsible for workplace safety.
Each province and territory sets its own rules, and federally regulated workplaces follow the Canada Labour Code. Requirements differ, so employers should always check the current legislation for their jurisdiction.
Under Ontario's OHSA, the main requirements include:
Many other provinces also use a threshold of about 20 workers for a joint committee, including British Columbia and Alberta, with smaller workplaces typically needing a worker representative instead. Under the Canada Labour Code, federally regulated employers with 20 or more employees must establish a workplace committee, and larger employers must also have a policy committee. Details such as meeting frequency, training hours and inspection duties vary, so it is important not to assume one province's rules apply in another.
In many Canadian jurisdictions, a worker member of the committee or a worker representative is involved when a worker refuses unsafe work, by being present during the investigation of the refusal. In Ontario, certified members also have special powers in certain dangerous circumstances, including the ability, under defined conditions, to direct the employer to stop work. These legal rights are separate from any stop work authority policy an employer may adopt on its own.
Employers generally must provide committee members with time to attend meetings and carry out duties, pay them for that time, give them information they need and post the names of committee members in the workplace. Employers cannot penalize members for carrying out committee duties in good faith.
The JHSC model is not unique to Canada. Many countries encourage or require worker participation in health and safety through committees or representatives.
There is no general federal requirement for safety committees under OSHA, although worker participation is a recommended element of safety and health programs. Several states, including Washington and Oregon, require many employers to have safety committees, and some state rules link committees to an injury and illness prevention program (IIPP). Requirements and size thresholds vary by state.
Under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, employers must set up a safety committee if requested in writing by at least two trade union safety representatives. Employers must also consult workers on health and safety matters, either directly or through representatives.
Under the model Work Health and Safety laws adopted in most states and territories, a health and safety committee must be established if requested by a health and safety representative or by five or more workers, and employers may set one up on their own initiative.
A food processing plant in Ontario employs about 120 workers across two shifts. Its JHSC has six members: three workers chosen by the union, including one from the night shift, and three management members, with one certified member on each side. During a monthly inspection, a worker member notices that a guard on a slicing machine has been removed and replaced with tape, and that sanitation crews are cleaning the machine without locking it out.
At the next meeting, the committee reviews the findings, talks to the sanitation crew and learns that the guard was removed because it made cleaning difficult. The committee sends a written recommendation to the plant manager asking for a redesigned guard that can be cleaned in place and for lockout/tagout training for sanitation staff. The manager responds in writing within the required time with a timetable for both actions. The committee adds the items to its action log and confirms completion during a later inspection.
No. Requirements depend on the jurisdiction and the number of workers regularly employed. In many Canadian provinces, smaller workplaces need a worker health and safety representative instead of a full committee.
Worker members are chosen by the workers they represent, or by the union where workers are unionized. The employer selects the management members.
In general, the committee makes recommendations, and the employer must respond. The employer remains legally responsible for safety. Some jurisdictions give certified members or inspectors added powers in dangerous situations.
A health and safety representative is usually a single worker who performs similar functions in a smaller workplace. A JHSC is a larger group with both worker and management members.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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