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THE EFFECTIVE JHSC 14 140-002-07-IGOT © 2013, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) 1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | www.wsps.ca What Do I Need to Put in the Terms of Reference? On the following pages are suggested topics to include in a Terms of Reference. Each JHSC's Terms of Reference document will contain similar main element but will be particular for each company. 1. Define the Purpose of the JHSC State the purpose of your committee. An example of a purpose statement would be: "To ensure that hazards in the workplace are identified and recommendations are made to the employer to control these hazards." 2. Objectives of the JHSC The objectives provide the backbone of the actions of the committee. The objectives are written specifically so that the committee will fulfill its purpose. 3. Functions of the Committee List the functions of the committee as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Section 9(18) 4. Structure of the JHSC List the member roles that make up your committee. For example, the committee will be made up of a minimum of 4 people. It will have at least 50% workers on it, with representation from each department. Be sure to comply with the requirements in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Term of Office State how long each member will sit on the committee (at least one year). If there is more than one worker and one management representative, terms should be staggered to allow continuity. Also decide if the one year or longer term is renewable. If so, how many times? Subcommittees Sometimes a JHSC divides into subcommittees to address particular events or assignments. 5. Meetings State the frequency of meetings. Be sure to meet the minimum requirement set out in the OHSA, which is to meet quarterly, however a best practice is to meet monthly, after the monthly inspection. This makes it easier to keep track of concerns raised during inspections and ensure controls are in place for each. Meeting dates should be established on a pre-set schedule or at the conclusion of each meeting. WSPS.CA

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