joint health & safety committees operating in an effective irs environment
TRANSCRIPT
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
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
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Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
What is the objective of the JHSC?
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What is required for an effective JHSC?
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• 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
What is required for an effective JHSC?
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• 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
What is required for an effective JHSC?
What is required for an effective JHSC?
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• 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*
“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
Required for effective JHSC
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What is the “Internal Responsibility System?”*
Internal Responsibility System (IRS)
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
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
IRS Description
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IRS survey results
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• 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.*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
IRS survey results
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• 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*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
IRS survey results
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• 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
DIRECT 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.*
IRS Responsibility
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Internal Responsibility System
DirectDirectors
Executives
Employers
Supervisors
Workers
InternalContributive
JHSC
Health & Safety staff
Engineers
Other staff
Unions
ExternalContributive
Unions
HSA
Workers’ Centre
Suppliers
MOL
WSIB
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“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”
IRS Analysis
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report*
IRS Analysis
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
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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*
• Internal Responsibility System is the heart of the OHSA.
• What is OHSA?• Do you want to be known as a
“minimum standards” company?*
OHSA & The Internal Responsibility System
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OHSA• Rights of workers• Duties of workplace parties –
[Part III of OHSA]*
The Act & the Internal Responsibility system
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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*
Workplace Parties
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On flip chart paper, list the
responsibilities of:– Employer
– Supervisor
– Worker
– Directors and officers
– Suppliers
– Owners*
Workshop:Internal Responsibility System
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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
IRS Description
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Analyze every OHS issue in terms of the underlying IRS issues, e.g.:‐ Incident Investigations‐ Inspections‐ Complaints‐ Orders‐ Work Refusals‐ Work stoppages*
“IRS Analysis”
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Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
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• 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;*
JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
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• 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;*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
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• 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;*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
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• 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.*
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Holliday Report – The IRS in Ontario Mines Final Report
JHSC Roles and Responsibilities in an Effective IRS Environment
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• 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 inan Effective IRS Environment
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Summary
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Thank you for your participation
Questions?
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment
Joint Health & Safety Committees Operating in an Effective IRS Environment