Updates to TMU’s Joint Health and Safety Committee

To: All employees

As you may know, by law, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (external link, opens in new window)  requires employers with more than 20 workers to establish and maintain a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) in the workplace. The JHSC is an important vehicle through which employees participate in meaningful ways to impact health and safety at work.

As part of its mandate to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, Environmental Health and Safety worked alongside current JHSC members, union executives and key university stakeholders to have an external consultant provide a review of TMU’s JHSC. 

Review led to recommendation for expanded membership

The review led to an internal recommendation that the university expand membership of the JHSC, and approval for the creation of three separate Joint Health and Safety committees to focus on specific areas: 

• Administration Committee: This committee covers the administrative areas of the university including offices, classrooms and other similar spaces. This JHSC will review institutional policies and training.
• Laboratories and Workshop Committee: This includes wet and dry labs and workshops/studios.
• Operations Committee: This includes safety-sensitive operational spaces such as kitchens, mechanical rooms and maintenance workshops, occupied by employees in departments like Community Safety and Security, Facilities Management and Development and University Business Services. 

Given the variety of safety considerations in each of these spaces, this new structure will allow each JHSC to better focus its efforts on the specific health and safety needs of the area(s). 

Expanding worker representation on TMU’s JHSC 

According to the OHSA, JHSCs are required to have both “worker” and “management” representation. Worker members are appointed through their unions and management members are appointed by their department/faculty leadership. 

Previously, only MAC leaders were included in the JHSC, but as part of the expanded membership, the JHSC will now also include representation of MAC employees who do not have direct reports and so are considered “workers”. MAC employees without direct reports will receive a follow up email inviting their participation on the administration and operations committees. 

As always, unionized employees interested in participating with JHSC activities can reach out to their union representatives. 

Questions?

For more information on the duties and responsibilities of JHSC membership, we encourage you to review information about the committee online or reach out to EHS at ehs@torontomu.ca.