Safety and Health Committee The District's Safety and Health Committee shall include three (3) classified staff members appointed by ECCE who shall fully participate in the duties and functions of the Committee. The Safety and Health Committee shall normally meet on a monthly basis.
Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee (a) The Company and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the Company in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness.
(b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Company agrees to accept as a member of its Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee at least one representative selected or appointed by the Union from amongst bargaining unit employees.
(c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to safety and health.
(d) The Company agrees to cooperate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfil its functions.
(e) Meetings shall be held every second month or more frequently at the call of the chair if required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available for review.
(f) Any representative appointed or selected in accordance with (b) hereof shall serve for a term of one calendar year from the date of appointment which may be renewed for further periods of one year. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee in accordance with the foregoing shall be granted and time so spent attending such meetings shall be deemed to be work time for which the representative(s) shall be paid by the Company at his regular or premium rate as may be applicable.
(g) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full cooperation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices.
(h) Pregnant employees may request to be transferred from their current duties if, in the professional opinion of the employee's physician, the pregnancy may be at risk. If such a transfer is not feasible, the pregnant employee, if she so requests, will be granted an unpaid leave of absence before commencement of the maternity leave referred to in Article 15.04.
(i) Where the Company identifies high-risk areas where employees are exposed to Hepatitis B, the Company will provide, at no cost to the employees, a Hepatitis B vaccine.
(j) The Company will recognize April 28 as the annual day of remembrance for workers killed, injured or have contracted a work related disease on the job. Subject to the requirements of patient care, the Company agrees to stop work and provide a minute of silence for all employees at 11:00 A.M. April 28, in memory of workers killed or injured on the job. The Company will announce on its public address system at 11:00 a.m., April 28 that all employees will be observing a minute of silence in memory of workers killed or injured in the job.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
(a) The parties agree that a joint occupational health and safety committee will be established. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. The Committee shall be between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. The Union agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care unions, where more than one union is certified with the Employer, a joint union/employer committee for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
(b) Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the Joint Committee. Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages to participate in joint workplace inspections and joint accident investigations at the request of the Committee pursuant to the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Committee meetings, workplace inspections and accident investigations shall be scheduled during normal working hours whenever practicable.
(c) The Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall have as part of its mandate the jurisdiction to receive complaints or concerns regarding workload problems which are safety-related, the right to investigate such complaints, the right to define the problem and the right to make recommendations for a solution. Where the Committee determines that a safety-related workload problem exists, it shall inform the Employer. Within 21 days thereafter, the Employer shall advise the Committee what steps it has taken or proposes to take to rectify the safety-related workload problem identified by the Committee. If the Union is not satisfied with the Employer's response, it may refer the matter to the Industry Trouble shooter for a written recommendation.
(d) No employee shall be disciplined for refusal to work when excused by the provisions of the
Health and Safety Committee Where required a committee will be formed and will meet where required by the Employer’s safety policies and by statute.
Joint Health and Safety Committee (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of occupational health and safety in the organization, in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness. The parties agree to promote health and safety throughout the organization. The employer shall provide orientation and training in health and safety to new and current employees on an ongoing basis, and employees shall attend required health and safety training sessions.
(b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Joint Health and Safety Committee, at least one representative from the bargaining unit. The number of committee members will be no less than that determined by legislation and the bargaining unit will be entitled to the same membership as any other employee group on the committees. The Union shall notify the employer of their representatives.
(c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs, and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to occupational health and safety.
(d) The Employer agrees to cooperate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfill its functions. The Committee shall respect the confidentiality of the information.
(e) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full cooperation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices.
(f) Meetings shall be held every third month or more frequently at the call of either co-chair, if required. The Committee shall keep Minutes of all meetings and make the Minutes available for review.
(g) All time spent by a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee attending meetings of the Committee and carrying out the members duties, shall be deemed to be time worked for which the member shall be paid by the Employer at the member's applicable rate of pay, and the member shall be entitled to such time from the member's work as necessary for those duties.
(h) The employer shall take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker. [Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 25