1. 4/21/2017
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
JHSC can be effective, they are legislated. Get them to work for you
Gives a management – worker perspective
Serious about accident prevention
Repeat items on your inspection
Small items keep coming up1974 Ham
1976 Employees H&S act
1979 OHSA
1980 Burket
1992 Certification
2011 MOL
Put IRS description on Flip chart paper

2. Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Characteristics of an effective JHSC
What is IRS?
IRS analysis
Roles & responsibilities of the JHSC
Summary
JHSC >19 employees, designated subwstance or if MOL orders
>49 4 members
Only training for certified members 1 worker 1 management
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

3. History of the JHSC
First mentioned in Ontario in the Ham Commission report (1976) along with the Internal Responsibility System as a result of health and safety concerns in the mining industry
Employee’s Health & Safety Act 1976, JHSCs may be ordered by MOL
OHSA 1979 establishes the OHSA and JHSCs are mandatory in many workplaces
Changes came with Bill 208 (1990) which included member certification
Bill 160 (2011) made changes to OHSA.*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

4. When is a JHSC Required?
A Joint Health and Safety Committee is required:
At workplaces with 20 or more employees [Section 9 (2)(a)]
At a workplace with respect to which an order to an employer is in effect under Section 33 [Section 9(2)(b)]
At a workplace with respect to which a regulation concerning a designated substance applies [Section 9(2)(c)]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

5. JHSC/H & S Representatives
< 6 No Committee or H&S Representative
6 – 19 Health and Safety Representative
>19 Joint Health and Safety Committee*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

6. JHSC Composition
At least two persons for workplaces under 50 employees [Section 9(6)(a)]
At least four persons for workplaces over 50 employees [Section 9(6)(b)]
At least half the members shall be workers employed at the workplace who do not exercise managerial functions [Section 9(7)]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

7. JHSC Powers It is the function of a committee and it has the power to:
Identify situations that may be a source of danger or hazard to workers [9(18)(a)]
make recommendations for the improvement of the health and safety of workers [9(18)(b)
Recommend the establishment, maintenance and monitoring of programs, measures and procedures respecting the health and safety of workers [9(18)(c)]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

8. JHSC Powers The committee has the power to obtain information on:
The identification of potential and existing hazards [Section 9(18)(d)(i)]
Health and safety experience and work practices in similar or other industries [Section 9(18)(d)(ii)]
Testing or the taking of tests in or about the workplace for the purpose of OH&S [Section 9(18)(e)]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

9. JHSC Rights The worker members of the JHSC have fundamental rights to:
Be present at the beginning of testing [Section 9(18)(f)]
Inspect the physical condition of the workplace on a monthly basis [Section 9(23)]
Investigate cases where a worker is killed or critically injured [Section 9(31)]
Participate in investigation of work refusal*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

10. JHSC Certified Member Rights
Request and assist in investigation of bilateral work stoppages [45(1)]
Initiates unilateral work stoppages [47(2)]
Investigates complaints of dangerous circumstances [48 (1)]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

11. What is the objective of the JHSC?
Ask participants
Do members understand?
Do workers understand?
Inspection reports repeat hazards, hazards not corrected
Function id hazards, make recommendations
Inspections, investigations,
Work refusal, work stoppages
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

12. What is required for an effective JHSC?
Ask participants
Surveyed safety professionals
Certification training
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

13. What is required for an effective JHSC?
Training Needs Assessment
What does the member need to know to be effective on the committee?
What health and safety related education has the committee member already taken in the past?
What health and safety education do they need in the future?*
OHSA
Regulations
Workplace inspection
Incident investigation
Industrial hygiene
Industry specific Recognize evaluate and control
Company policy and procedures
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

14. What is required for an effective JHSC?
Working knowledge of the OHSA
Industry knowledge & experience
Knowledge to recognize, evaluate and control workplace hazards
Experience in workplace inspections
Inspections done in pairs (rep & management)*
Need to have a focus (IRS, fall arrest, mobile equip, standards, etc)
Experience in emergency preparedness/response
Experience in understanding causation models
Understand incident investigation and capable of doing it
training
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

15. What is required for an effective JHSC?
Safety leaders in the workplace
Passion and dedication
Sincere interest in worker health & safety
Cooperation and transparency
Good written and oral communication skills
Stick to the direction that the JHSC is mandated
Not to be used as a political platform for either side to try and gain an upper-hand.
Not get caught up in daily safety/production issues*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

16. What is required for an effective JHSC?
Effective meetings
Employees awareness of JHSC
Professionalism, proactive, positive
Committee evaluation
Terms of reference
Knowledge of roles and responsibilities
Clear understanding by all of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS)
Management support*
Management belief that JHSC can work, support
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

17. Required for effective JHSC
“Employers across Ontario should take a good look in the mirror when it comes to providing assistance to ensure committees function as prescribed. Link everyone in the green book to the IRS concept.”
- Rick Farrell, Worker Rep. Xstrata Copper, Kidd Mine
One respected JHSC member said
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

18. Internal Responsibility System (IRS)
What is the “Internal Responsibility System?”*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

19. IRS Description
The IRS is a system, within an organization, where everyone has direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his or her job.
It does not matter who or where the person is in the organization – they achieve health and safety in a way that suits the kind of work they do.
Each person takes initiative on health and safety issues and works to solve problems and make improvements. They do this both simply and cooperatively.
Taken from the Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Print out and post
What does this mean?
Holiday & Associates
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

20. IRS survey results Most think IRS working well
Workers less positive in some areas
Relationship with supervisors perceived to be good
Perceived lack of commitment to safety and IRS by management
Gap between workers’ and supervisors’ views.*
Survey 2001 follow up 2005
How committed? Workers 58% FLS 67%
Perception of IRS in the workplace 49% FLS 75%
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

21. IRS survey results
Not everyone understands the role of Joint Health and Safety Committee
Views not always in line with model of IRS described in IRS study
Only half of workers see committee as a resource (other groups had higher percentage).
Only half of workers see committee as final step in resolving issues
JHSC members not always familiar with the functions of executive/board levels of the organization*
How well we understand the term “IRS” JHSC 61% (lowest of group)
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

22. IRS survey results
Board of directors and executives somewhat disconnected from operations
IRS model sets out clear H&S responsibilities for these parties
Survey responses show role that board members and execs play in IRS is not recognized by workers or by directors and executives themselves
Participation in IRS audit very low among this group.*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

23. IRS survey results Issues common to the majority of companies:
Understanding IRS – roles within IRS need to be better understood by all parties
JHSC – workers often use JHSC to address issues
Communication – feedback to workers
Roles and responsibilities – require improvement between company JHSC and contractor JHSC
Commitment to safety and IRS by senior management needs to be more visible.*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

24. IRS Responsibility DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY CONTRIBUTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Assigned to parties who make operative decisions about conditions in the workplace
The responsibility of the company President to ensure that direct responsibility within a company is established, promoted & improved
CONTRIBUTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Assigned to parties who are in a position to consult, advise, audit or inspect conditions in the workplace
Parties can be internal or external to the workplace.* 
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

25. Internal Responsibility System
Direct
Directors
Executives
Employers
Supervisors
Workers
Internal
Contributive
JHSC
Health & Safety staff
Engineers
Other staff
Unions
External
Contributive
Unions
HSA
Workers’ Centre
Suppliers
MOL
WSIB
The internal responsibility system as defined by James Ham in 1976
The IRS is based on the belief that hazards can best be dealt with in the workplace through communication and cooperation between employers and workers. It is a line responsibility. Certain individuals outside the line functions within the organization have contributive responsibilities. This would include the JHSC who have a responsibility to make recommendations for the health & safety of the workers as well as monitor the company safety program. Others have "external contributive responsibilities".
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

26. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report*
IRS Analysis
“The IRS model can be used to analyze OHS situations, problems and opportunities in new ways. Most health and safety problems can be analyzed in terms of the root problems with ‘people factors’ in the organization”
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

27. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report*
IRS Analysis
The OHS professional and the JHSC members would do a much better job of handling issues if they became accustomed to thinking in IRS terms. IRS analysis would take us beyond the question "is this work safe?", to "why wasn't this hazard dealt with by the people responsible within the day to day routine?"
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report*
What do you make of this statement from the Holiday report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

28. OHSA & The Internal Responsibility System
Internal Responsibility System is the heart of the OHSA.
What is OHSA?
Do you want to be known as a “minimum standards” company?*
Collect information from participants
Why would we say the “heart of the act”
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

29. The Act & the Internal Responsibility system
OHSA
Rights of workers
Duties of workplace parties – [Part III of OHSA]*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

30. Workplace Parties
The following workplace parties are identified in Part III of the OHSA:
Constructor
Licensee
Employers
Supervisors
Workers
Owners
Suppliers
Engineers and architects
Directors and Officers of a corporation*
Get groups to identify using the ACT
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

31. Workshop: Internal Responsibility System
4/21/2017
Workshop: Internal Responsibility System
On flip chart paper, list the responsibilities of:
Employer
Supervisor
Worker
Directors and officers
Suppliers
Owners*
Workshop ask participants about role of each group more than just what is in the OHSA so that IRS is functioning what are the responsibilities
Joint Health & Safety Committees
Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

32. IRS Description
The IRS is a system, within an organization, where everyone has direct responsibility for health and safety as an essential part of his or her job.
It does not matter who or where the person is in the organization – they achieve health and safety in a way that suits the kind of work they do.
Each person takes initiative on health and safety issues and works to solve problems and make improvements. They do this both simply and cooperatively.
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report .
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

33. “IRS Analysis”
Analyze every OHS issue in terms of the underlying IRS issues, e.g.:
Incident Investigations
Inspections
Complaints
Orders
Work Refusals
Work stoppages*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

34. JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
Be an advocate for the IRS and its continuous improvement;
Monitor the functioning of the IRS and make recommendations for its improvement;
Inspect the workplace for the purpose of ensuring that workers and supervisors are reducing risks on a continuous basis;
Investigate serious incidents and other events with a view to identifying and recommending elimination of fundamental causes of losses;*
Identified by Holiday group. In addition to the mandate under the OHSA
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

35. JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
Intercede to resolve a worker’s concern where the IRS fails;
Assist in the development of safe and healthy working procedures;
Monitor the elements of the health and safety system (policies and programs) and suggest ways of improving them;
Contribute to the health and safety assessment of new facilities, equipment, material and processes;*
In addition to the mandate under the OHSA Holliday & Associates
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

36. JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
Determine what failures in the IRS caused work refusals to occur;
Facilitate discussion among all members of the organization, particularly with respect to system-wide problems and opportunities;
Provide a means by which insights and concerns of workers can be communicated to senior management;
Act as another channel of communication between workplace parties;*
In addition to the mandate under the OHSA
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

37. JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
Act as a liaison for the MOL so that weaknesses in the IRS, and continuing health and safety concerns, can be brought to the attention of the inspector;
Check that mechanisms are in place to monitor the performance of work; and
Check that, when recommendations are made to change work procedures, the changes are made and maintained.*
In addition to the mandate under the OHSA
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

38. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Keys to Successful IRS
Everyone must have a sincere wish to prevent accidents and illnesses;
Everyone must accept that accidents and illnesses have causes that can be eliminated or greatly reduced;
Everyone must accept that risk can be continually reduced, so that the time between accidents and illnesses get longer and longer;
Everyone must accept that health and safety is an essential part of doing his or her work (health and safety is not an extra, it is part of doing the job);*
From MOL study 2000 by Holiday and Associates
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

39. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Keys to Successful IRS
Every person must have a clear understanding of what he/she is responsible for; what he/she can do to change matters; and when things must be done;
Every person must be regularly asked to explain what they have done to ensure health and safety on the job and in the workplace;
Everyone must have a clear understanding of their own skill, ability and limitations, and should have the capacity to carry out their responsibilities;*
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

40. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Keys to Successful IRS
Everyone must attempt to avoid conflict when trying to reduce risk;
As an individual, each person must go beyond just complying with health and safety rules and standards, and strive to improve work processes to reduce risk;
When an individual cannot reduce risk by him/herself, then they must cooperate with others to go beyond just complying with health and safety rules and standards, and strive to improve work processes to reduce risk;*
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

41. Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Keys to Successful IRS
Everyone must understand the IRS process, believe in it, and take steps to make it effective at all levels in the organization; and
No one should be fearful of reprisals when using IRS processes.*
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

42. Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Summary
The attitudes of employers, employees and unions are critical to the success of the JHSC
Key ingredients are a strong commitment by the employer expressed in policies, procedures and actions as well as the interest and involvement of the employees on the JHSC
Everyone must understand the IRS process, believe in it, and take steps to make it effective at all levels in the organization. *
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment

43. Thank you for your participation Questions ?
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Thank you for your participation Questions ?
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment