THE EFFECTIVE JHSC
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140-002-07-IGOT © 2013, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | www.wsps.ca
CHAPTER 4: MAKING EFFECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Topics in this Chapter:
ƒ Purpose of Recommendations
ƒ Making a Recommendation
ƒ Types of Recommendations
ƒ Effective Recommendations
ƒ Responding to Recommendations
Purpose of Recommendations
Why Do We Need Recommendations?
Formal written recommendations are the way the JHSC proposes significant health and safety changes
to the workplace to senior management. Recommendations may be made that involve improvements to
a procedure or a process to improve the health and safety of the workers. These changes often require
approval from senior management and/or may need to be budgeted for. The proposed changes would
impact staff in the department(s) affected. For example, if the JHSC discovers a new type of PPE the
committee may make a recommendation to management based on facts supporting how switching to
this new PPE would benefit the workers and increase productivity (perhaps less absenteeism).
In some companies formal recommendations are reserved for larger, more complex situations that require
a significant amount of collaboration between departments, policy change or are costly. Other changes may
be handled more informally through approval by the senior management member on the JHSC.
Making a Recommendation
How Does the JHSC Make a Recommendation?
The written recommendation is addressed to, and received by, the senior management person
responsible for health and safety. Management must respond to the recommendation within 21 days.
Recommendations should:
ƒ Be made in written form
ƒ Be dated
ƒ Give the reason for the recommendation(s)
ƒ Describe the intended immediate outcome(s)
ƒ Describe the intended long-term impact(s)
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