Interested in being on the NCN Work Place Health and Safety Committee?
LET YOUR MANAGER KNOW BEFORE APRIL 10th 2019.
The Canada Labour Code protects the rights of employees and establishes a framework for health and safety in the work place. The Code is in place to reduce, as much as possible, the number of employees who suffer casualties or injuries as a result of their work activities.
Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation work places with 20 or more employees are required by the labour code to meet workplace health and safety standards under federal jurisdiction. Establishing a Work Place Health and Safety Committee is part of the process to ensure safe working conditions.
Workplace safety is your right!
For detailed workplace health and safety requirements, please visit:
Work place health and safety committees
For more information or to become involved contact your workplace manager or:
Mike Cullen
email: [email protected]
Wayne Spence
email: [email protected]
DID YOU KNOW?
- Every work place with 20 or more employees is required to have a health and safety committee.
- A work place health and safety committee consists of at least two persons.
- A work place health and safety committee is led by two chairpersons, one chosen by the employer-members and the other by the employee-members.
- Terms of office are not to exceed two years.
- All committee members will receive the necessary training in health and safety and are informed of their responsibilities.
- Committee members are compensated for their time (attending meetings or performing any of their other functions; and traveling as required).
Duties of a work place health and safety committee:
- Respond to health and safety complaints;
- Participate in the implementation and monitoring of programs to prevent work place hazards;
- Participate in all of the inquiries, investigations, studies, and inspections of employee health and safety;
- Handle the provision of personal protective equipment, clothing, devices, or materials;
- Ensure that adequate records are kept on work accidents, injuries and health hazards;
- Co-operate with health and safety officers;
- Implement changes that may affect occupational health and safety, including work processes and procedures;
- Assist the employer in investigating and assessing the exposure of employees to hazardous substances;
- Inspect monthly all or part of the work place, so that every part of the work place is inspected at least once a year;
- Participate in the development of health and safety policies and programs;
- Meet 9 times a year, at regular intervals and during regular working hours.
What other tasks are involved to meet NCN Health and Safety Requirements:
- Rule-making: the work place health and safety committee can establish its own rules of procedure pertaining to the administration and operation of the committee (e.g., meeting times and places).
- Record-keeping: the committee must keep accurate records of all matters that come before it, as well as minutes of all meetings. They are to be made available to a health and safety officer if they are requested.
- Liability: no committee member is personally liable for anything done, or not done, in good faith under the authority of the committee.
- Regulations: the Minister of Labour retains the right to make certain regulations which may apply to all of the work place health and safety committees.