 |
|
Health & Safety You Have a Say (Right to participate in decisions affecting health and safety at work) "Workers are living, breathing, thinking human beings who have the most fundamental stake in any system of health and safety that affects their workplace. They must be involved at the workplace level up ..."
- CW, worker and workplace health & safety activist
Workers in Canada have the right to participate in decisions affecting workplace health and safety. Federal, provincial, and territorial laws state that workers can get elected as paid worker representatives on workplace health and safety committees. In smaller workplaces, workers can get elected as worker health and safety representatives. Workers participating in health and safety decision making work with management on controlling or eliminating dangers in the workplace. Tragically, injuries and illness resulting from workplace dangers continue to be a reality in twenty first century Canada.
Workers and management on health and safety committees jointly find workplace hazards and recommend actions to make the workplace safer. The work of worker representatives is to act on behalf of workers' well being, and the work of committees is to give the employer advice on improving worker health and safety. While final decisions always rest with the employer, the way committees and worker health and safety representatives can participate in workplace decision making varies across the country. To learn more, click on the provincial, territorial or federal tab for the law that applies to your workplace. If you're unsure whether your workplace falls under federal law, read Which law covers you.
Unionized workers' collective agreements often contain a clause on workplace health and safety committees. Compared to standards set in the law, clauses in collective agreements might list more paid work hours for committee work, and clarify a committee's work so that it suits workers' concerns at that specific workplace. 93 per cent of workers have a health and safety committee clause in their collective agreement.
Workers can make certain safety in the workplace is a priority by using workers' rights. Learn about workers' right to refuse unsafe work, and workers' right to know about workplace hazards. |
|
 |
