Health & Safety

It is a Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre policy to ensure the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) is operational as legislated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The JOHSC’s role as per the OHSA is to investigate and make recommendations on health and safety matters. As per the Internal Responsibility System policy, the JOHSC has an integral role along with the employer, supervisor and employees to identify and eliminate all health and safety hazards which are risks for workers as part of the management of health and safety.

DEFINITION(S):
“JOHSC” – Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee, is equivalent to required JHSC as per S.9(2) of the Occupational Health & Safety Act. Sunnybrook JHSC opted to add “Occupational” to distinguish the committee from patient-safety focused committees.
“OHSA” – Occupational Health and Safety Act
“Certified Member” – A Committee Member who is certified by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.
“Committee” – The multi-site Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
“Designated Worker” – A worker who does not have managerial functions or duties and who is not a member of the JOHSC, but has been designated by the worker members of the JOHSC as provided under subsection 9(3.2) of the OHSA to conduct workplace inspections.
“MOL” – Ministry of Labour
“Multi-Site Committee” – A single Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee that represents Sunnybrook’s employees who work at the following workplace locations:

• Bayview Campus – 2075 Bayview Avenue
• Holland Orthopaedic and Arthritic Centre – 43 Wellesley Street East
• St. John’s Rehab – 285 Cummer Avenue
• Sunnybrook services located at 77 Grenville Street
• CNIB (third floor) – 1929 Bayview Avenue
• Sunnybrook Reactivation Care Centre (RCC) Site – 200 Church St

Additional workplaces will be added by applying to the Ministry of Labour for an amendment to the existing multi-site committee agreement.

AUTHORITY OR REPORTING RELATIONSHIP:
Senior Leadership Committee.

ADMINISTRATION:
The Occupational Health and Safety Department shall provide the Committee’s secretarial support.

REPRESENTATION:
Committee Membership (Non-Voting members indicated by *)

Committee Members shall be selected by the groups they represent, taking into consideration appropriate site representation. Membership on the Committee shall be for a minimum term of two years. When it is determined that a change in Membership will occur, the respective groups they represent, in consultation with the Committee, shall plan the transition of Members. Such succession planning will occur with due regard to ensuring the appropriate continuity of the Committee with the intent to minimize disruption.

At least half the Members of the Committee shall be workers employed at the workplace who do not exercise managerial functions. {Section 9(7) OHSA}.

16 Worker Representatives

• ONA – 3 – as selected by ONA Local 80
• SEIU – 3 – As selected by SEIU Local 1
• St. John’s campus – 2 worker representatives from the St. John’s campus
• SEIU 2 (Representing Security Officers) – 1
• IUOE – 1
• PIPSC – 1
• Allied Health – 2 representing Bayview and/or Holland
• Division of Laboratory Medicine – 1 representing OPSEU members
• Research – 1 – as selected by the Sunnybrook Research Institute Safety Committee
• 1 additional worker representative

If an ONA or SEIU voting member or their delegate cannot attend then their respective Presidents will become a voting member.

Management Representatives

• 14 Management Representatives representing all sites. If a management member cannot attend, a delegate will be appointed.

Resource

• Committee Secretary *
• Safety Specialist(s) – Resource *
• Safety and/or Site Supervisor – Resource *
• Occupational Health Manager – Resource*
• JOHSC Portal

Replacing Worker Representatives
The worker representatives may replace a membership spot designated for a particular union if:

• A union’s representative has not met the attendance requirements for at least a year, and
• The union has been notified of the membership change.

The replacement representative may be a union or non-union worker selected by those they represent and approved by majority vote of the current JOHSC worker representatives.

Unions that no longer have a representative will be listed as Affiliate Members (Non-Voting) and are entitled to receive the meeting minutes and may attend a JOHSC meeting as a guest by contacting the Co-Chairs.