What is a Health and Safety committee?
A health and safety committee may be an option for some businesses to help facilitate further communication between management and the workforce on WHS matters. Every business (PCBU) has a legal duty to consult on health and safety matters and must have procedures to do so.
HSCs address the workplace and complement the role of the HSRs, whose powers are otherwise limited to WHS matters affecting the people in the workgroups they represent.
HSCs help the PCBU develop and carry out plans and courses of action to secure the work health and safety of workers. The HSC assists management in developing health and safety standards, rules and procedures that will be followed or complied with at the workplace.
HSCs can help with analysing data and statistical trends so that detailed reports can be made to management with recommendations by the committee. HSCs may need to look at reports and information provided by HSRs, subject matter experts, and SafeWork inspectors before they can submit their recommendations to management. [Ref 1]
Section 77c of the WHS Act additionally allows for business-specific agreements made between the PCBU and the HSC to help with consultation on health and safety, such as when identifying hazards and assessing risks to health and safety and making decisions about ways to eliminate or minimise those risks, when making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of workers, when proposing changes that may affect the health or safety of workers; or help comply with additional industry-specific legislation such is the case in Rail, Air, and Transport, which have their own Regulatory bodies and additional health and fitness requirements for their industries. [Ref 2]
The Health and Safety Committee (HSC) makes recommendations while the authority to make final decisions rests with Management.
The HSC helps the PCBU to develop company procedures, such as when new plant is being installed, if upgrading facilities, when moving premises, or expanding into new premises. The HSC may help formulate issue resolution procedures for the business. A health and safety committee is expected to meet at least once every 3 months, or sooner if required.
An HSC is primarily a resource for making recommendations and providing information and advice to management on WHS policies, plans, and procedures, dependent on the expertise, experience, and knowledge of its members. The PCBU does not have to act on recommendations given it, but it must prove that it consulted in the first place.
An HSC’s functions are simple, as described in Section 77 of the WHS Act. The purpose and role of an HSC is found in Part 5 of the WHS Act which is devoted exclusively to:
Representation,
Consultation,
Participation.
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.
References:
Worker Representation and Participation Guide (Safe Work Australia) – Pages 37-42
WHS Act Section 77 Functions of Committee
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