Is your Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) taking effective minutes, using the minutes as the foundation for an action plan, and posting the minutes in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act?
Minutes that are taken efficiently and used dynamically provide more benefit to the organization than minutes that are simply recorded to prove that the JHSC is going through the motions.
Taking Minutes is a Must
Section 9(22) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act) states that the minutes taken in JHSC meetings must also be posted, and be available for Ministry of Labour Inspectors, should they request to review them. This means that taking minutes during JHSC isn’t just best practice, it’s a requirement under the Act.
How to Make the Most of your Minutes
Simply taking minutes ensures compliance, but are your minutes being used as a dynamic tool for success? JHSC minutes can serve multiple purposes. For example:
Different Perspectives
Posting the minutes allows the workforce to review what was discussed and bring different perspectives to the table. Let it be known that the minutes have been posted and that the JHSC welcomes fresh perspectives.
Action Planning
Use the JHSC meeting minutes as the foundation for an action plan. Any discussion regarding controls, solutions, recommendations, or follow-up will automatically become a task and get assigned to the appropriate party.
Efficiency
Use the minutes to assign tasks and deadlines to appropriate parties. The idea is that all assigned tasks should be completed by the next meeting so that the controls can be evaluated for effectiveness.
Inspiration
Show others how the JHSC directly contributes to workplace health and safety by illustrating how an idea goes from discussion, to recommendation, and into action. Workers who know they’ll make a difference will be apt to join the JHSC.
What to Include
Meeting minutes aren’t supposed to be verbatim novellas of everything that was discussed. They need to include the basics and important details, such as:
- Date
- Time (start time and end time)
- Location
- List of expected attendees, and record of actual attendance and absences
- Names of chair and co-chair
- A list of hazards identified in the workplace inspection or hazards brought forth by workers to the JHSC member
- Any pertinent comments regarding the hazards
- Recommendations for controls
- Any actions or task associated with a control
- Follow-up dates as agreed upon by the JHSC
- A list of who’s responsible for what
- A place for the management and worker rep to sign off after reviewing the minutes
- A spot to record the date, time, and location of the next meeting
- Instructions for posting
Using a JHSC minutes template can make recording minutes easier. Best Safety Training and Consulting is offering a FREE JHSC minute template, so that you can take your meeting minutes to the next level! Our template takes the guesswork out of what to include, and also guides you in transforming your meeting minutes into a dynamic and effective tool for hazard management. Having an effective JHSC can have a positive impact on your organization’s bottom line!
Get a FREE JHSC Meeting Minute Template Today!
Best Safety Training Can Help
Best Safety Training is a Chief Prevention Officer (CPO)-approved provider of JHSC training. We offer in-house and on-site JHSC Part One, Part Two, and Refresher training. Let the Best Safety Training company take care of your training needs.
To ask questions about JHSC meeting minutes or how an effective JHSC can benefit your business, contact us online or call 226.777.7385. Visit us 24/7 on the web at bestsafetytraining.ca.