OSH COMMITTEES IN SPAIN AND EUROPE 30/04/2019 Aitana Garí Pérez

Workers participation in occupational health and safety Two ways for worker involvement: Safety Representatives OSH Committees 30/04/2019

OSH Committees What is a OSH Committees in Spain? a way of organizing a companies internal participation… used for establishing regular and periodical consulting and negotiating mechanisms… a stable forum for an organized dialogue between parties… 30/04/2019

Who is on the OSH Committee? In equal proportion we have: OSH Committees Who is on the OSH Committee? In equal proportion we have: Safety representatives and representatives appointed by the management Expert in occupational risks prevention: OSH officers, consultants or advisers 30/04/2019

OSH Committees How are the OSH Committee set up? Employers are responsible for establishing OSH committees. But if not The safety representatives can report them to the Labour Inspectorate. Meeting at least every 3 months or when either party requests it. Own functioning norms. 30/04/2019

OSH Committees Where are they set up? all companies with 50 or more workers companies with various work centres: one Committee for several work centres joint meetings of OSH Committees in single work center 30/04/2019

OSH Committees What functions and rights do OSH committee have? get involved development and evaluation of the Prevention Program discuss work organization and/or the introduction of new technologies or machines promote prevention initiatives and to improve working conditions inform about the annual prevention report and program visit the work centre access all information and documentation for the development of their tasks/of the committee tasks analyse workers health with the aim of assessing their causes and to propose preventive measures 30/04/2019

OSH Committees What are the main OSH committee activities? participate in the development and implementation of programs to protect workers´ health and safety ensure the completion and monitoring of  injury and work hazard records monitor and follow-up hazard reports and recommend action participate in all health and safety inquiries and investigations, and monitor the effectiveness of safety programs and procedures 30/04/2019

OSH Committees Some good practices in some Spanish committees... ensure matters do not get stalled over the table: always setting deadlines for agreements and decisions to sort out the really important matters, and not to get distracted with irrelevant details maximum transparency: systematically inform workers of everything that happens on the Committee increase the involvement of workers: providing a suggestion box, etc. company do not pass its responsibilities to the Committee 30/04/2019

OSH Committees A wide spread bad practice in Spanish companies appoint OSH expert officers or advisers as company's representatives Legally permitted, but not good for prevention because: it difficult the principle of incorporating prevention in business management. Responsibilities that belong to company management go to OSH experts officers it stops the OSH experts officers from carrying out their advisory function to the business as well as to the workers 30/04/2019

OSH Committees in Europe: are more or less the same  same Law: the Framework Directive (Council Directive 89/391/EEC, on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work) Some differences on the way they are organized 30/04/2019

OSH Committees Finally... Several studies show that companies that have an OSH Committee reduce the number of accidents. OSH committee is a worker collective protection. 30/04/2019

Exchange of points of view OSH Committees Exchange of points of view Businesspeople: management, economical,… Safety rep: worker point of view OSH officers: expert in occupational risk prevention, technical, scientific,… 30/04/2019

OSH Committees The moral: Workers participation in occupational health and safety issues improves their working conditions and therefore the workers´ health. All together can go far!!! 30/04/2019