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Running effective HSCs - Solutions to common problems


The effectiveness of health and safety committees depends on the commitment, knowledge, and individual areas of expertise of their members. HSC members need to know and understand the overall purpose of the HSC, and their role as members to ensure the duties and purpose of their health and safety committee are achieved.


The functions of a health and safety committee are stated in Section 77 of the WHS Act. Here are several common issues that affect the effectiveness of health and safety committees.


1. Committee meetings bogged down with day-to-day issues:


  • Make sure all committee members understand the committee’s role in dealing with long-term policy and workplace health and safety program issues. The committee doesn't deal with immediate issues; immediate issues should be dealt with in other ways, especially if urgent.


  • Make sure that the objectives, functions and duties of the committee are well-defined and understood. The functions of a committee are simple, as stated in Section 77 of the WHS Act.


  • Make sure all committee members understand the difference between the health and safety representative role and the role of the committee. HSRs deal with issues related to the people in their work groups. HSCs deal with matters that concern the workplace as a whole. Beware of persons who hobby-horse on things that "they" want the committee to be involved in that are not functions of the committee and have nothing to do with workplace consultation. [Note 1]


  • Ensure the agenda is not crowded with minor problems which should be solved elsewhere.


2. Committee lacks direction and decisions are referred elsewhere:


  • Make sure senior managers on the committee are in a position to make decisions or pass information up to senior executives who can make decisions to allocate resources. Employer representatives represent the PCBU (organisation.)


  • HSC members should be trained in health and safety. They need to know the basics: who are duty holders, what are their duties, WHS consultation, WHS risk management, etc, so they can make valuable contributions to the matters taken up at committee meetings.


  • Management and workers need to understand that a health and safety committee is one of a number of resources management may utilise for a two-way flow of information between management and the workforce to occur. Issues raised by workers, HSRs, supervisors and management should be in keeping with the scope of the committee’s role.

3. Committee meetings run out of time and business is not completed:

  • Make sure the agenda is on-topic, manageable and all items can be worked through in the allocated time.


  • Make sure all members arrive on time.


  • Prioritise items if it appears there will not be enough time. Make sure urgent or important matters come first.


  • HSC members should get a copy of the agenda and accompanying papers at least one week before each meeting so all members come prepared.


  • Make sure day-to-day issues are dealt with elsewhere. The HSC is not an "operational" body. It only meets periodically; therefore, day-to-day operations are not the concern of the HSC.


  • Make sure "we are running out of time" does not become an excuse for stalling committee business.


4. Committee meetings are dominated by particular committee members:


  • Consider allocating time for each member who wants to contribute to the discussion on a particular item.

  • Consider upskilling your HSC members by training in effective meeting procedures. (Courtenell offers training courses that are HSC-specific.)


  • Make sure the committee is not too large – too many people trying to have a say will bog down the committee meeting.


  • Representatives on the committee are just that – representatives. They must have the opportunity to present the views of those they represent. Where domination occurs, the chairperson must encourage balanced discussion.

  • If the chairperson dominates, perhaps plan to rotate the chair each meeting, or establish a meeting code so that all members have an equal chance to contribute.


5. The venue for the meetings is not suitable:

  • Make sure the venue for the meeting is not noisy, or crowded, or too small.


  • Ensure management provides facilities and equipment for meetings.


  • Make sure the committee is respected in the workplace, so that staff opinion is that the committee should be given a suitable venue to conduct its business. If the HSC is respected it will be supported.


  • Make sure the room is set up properly beforehand, including any A/V gear that might be used.


  • Make sure others in the workplace understand committee meetings should not be interrupted.


6. The committee is too big. No one gets a proper say:

  • The WHS Act does not state who should be on a health and safety committee other than HSRs. The workplace should aim for suitable representation. The membership of a committee is determined by local agreement. Committee members don't necessarily have to be "WHS people." But, at least half of the members of the HSC must be workers who have not been nominated by the PCBU. [Note 2] This does not mean the committee should be the size of a posse.


  • More than one committee may be needed if the workplace is large. A tiered structure with departmental or section committees coordinated by an overall committee can work well in large businesses.


  • The chairperson should be trained in how to conduct meetings to ensure discussion is balanced and to enable proper representation of attendees. (Courtenell offers training for WHS committee members.)


7. Recommendations are put off or not followed up and implemented:

  • Make sure all recommendations are noted in the minutes and the action required is clearly described. Include how recommendations are to be made and to whom in senior management can consider and action the recommendations. A copy of agreed minutes or notes of each meeting should be supplied as soon as possible after the meeting to each member of the HSC.


  • Make sure minutes are distributed to all HSC members as well as to senior management. Copies of the notes or minutes should be sent to each HSR for the work groups covered by the committee. Copies should also be displayed or made available by other means for the information of workers.


  • Make sure that items that were tabled at the meeting for consultation are successfully addressed and any feedback from people in workgroups is obtained by their HSRs and relayed back. Put a due date on the information needed and follow up.


  • Recommendations not implemented should be included on the agenda for the next meeting and the chairperson should pursue the matter. Those people who did not do their part in implementing a course of action should be held accountable.


  • The committee should always refer to specifics stated in the WHS Act in encouraging compliance from people who have tasks to do. For example, Sections 46-49 of the WHS Act refer to when and how consultation needs to occur. Referring people to the Act may help improve clarity in completing their tasks and meeting expectations.


References



For more information on WHS training or WHS compliance services, or if you would like help to make your WHS management system even more robust, please feel free to contact us at train@courtenell.com.au or phone us on 02 9552 2066

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