What do WHS committee members actually do?
New members of a company’s Health and Safety Committee can bring important things to the committee from their position and experience as a worker or supervisor in the company. They may want to increase their knowledge to do even better in the committee.
The individual knowledge, understanding and skills of all your HSC members needs to be up to the expectations of what the Health and Safety Committee is meant to do and the level of involvement that is required of committee members in contributing to business decisions relating to health and safety in the workplace.
HSCs are put together for specific or temporary WHS projects, or to address WHS concerns for the workplace as a whole.
Under the WHS Model laws, a health and safety committee has three identified functions (duties) as per Section 77 of the WHS Act:
a) to facilitate co-operation between the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU) and workers in instigating, developing and carrying out measures designed to ensure the workers’ health and safety at work, and
In a) above, the HSC serves as the meeting point for management and the workforce to work out how to develop, modify or review and update measures necessary for the successful operation of the WHS management system. HSC members are required to contribute to the instigation, development, and carrying out of measures that ensure a safe workplace.
b) to assist in developing standards, rules and procedures relating to health and safety that are to be followed or complied with at the workplace, and
In b) above, committee members are required to be involved in improving company policy and procedures. They have a say in lending their experience and skills to the proposals being set forth. A committee member needs to be able to add quality contributions to help develop excellent policies that ensure the business is meeting it's WHS requirements.
c) any other functions prescribed by the regulations or agreed between the PCBU and the committee.
In c) above, it should be noted that as of 2024 there are "no other functions" prescribed by the current WHS Regulation for health and safety committees. This leaves individual arrangements between management and the committee that help facilitate management's duty to consult its workforce on WHS matters. These could be activities unique to the industry, or short-term projects such as moving premises; replacing, upgrading, or installing new plant or machinery. Anything, so long as it is in accordance with the PCBU's duty to consult on WHS matters as per Sections 46-49 of the WHS Act.
Your on-the-job-training may not be enough as a health and safety committee member. A WHS committee member needs to how to participate effectively as a Health and Safety Committee member and that requires a good grounding in WHS basics, duties and duty holders, and WHS risk management principles. Courtenell offers training for HSC members, relevant to all persons who make up the committee including HSRs who are also HSC members. There is no "official" course of training for HSC members however doing a Courtenell HSC course will provide participants with a certificate and therefore training evidence for audits or any continuous improvement program you may have for your business.
An HSC whose members are able to positively contribute to the purpose and duties of an HSC is an asset to any organisation.
For more information feel free to contact us at train@courtenell.com.au or phone us on 02 9552 2066
25th August 2020
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