How can I change our safety policies at work?
You have the right to give suggestions about the safety policies at your job.
Health and safety representative
If your workplace has between 6 and 19 workers, it must have a health and safety representative. The representative is someone that you and the other workers choose. They must be a worker, not a manager.
The role of the health and safety representative is to deal with safety issues in the workplace. They must:
- identify safety problems
- recommend ways your employer can fix the problems
- inspect the workplace at least once a month
You can talk to them at any time about safety problems or concerns that you have.
You can also give suggestions to your supervisor.
Joint Health and Safety Committee
A workplace with 20 or more workers must have a Joint Health and Safety Committee.
This committee must have at least 2 people if the number of workers is less than 50, and at least 4 people if the number of workers is 50 or more. At least half of the committee members must be chosen by the workers. They are your representatives on the Joint Health and Safety Committee. The rest of the committee members are chosen by your employer.
At least 2 members of a Joint Health and Safety Committee must have certification training. This training teaches them about the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and their responsibilities.
Your representatives are there to help make sure that your workplace is safe. Talk to your representative about your safety concerns and if you want to:
- ask for a change in your job's safety policies
- have more training
- get different equipment
No representative
If your job has 5 or fewer regular workers, it does not need to have a health and safety representative or a Joint Health and Safety Committee.
You still have the right to help make the safety policies at your work.
If you have any safety concerns at work, you should speak to your supervisor as soon as possible.
You can also speak to your or trade association, if you have one.
