A Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) helps prevent workplace injuries and illnesses by promoting a culture of shared responsibility and providing a formal process for raising and addressing workplace safety concerns.
As part of your Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system, it plays a key role in reducing risk, liability, and insurance costs. Made up of worker and employer representatives, the size and structure of your JOHSC will depend on the size of your organization. Failure to establish or maintain a JOHSC can result in compliance orders from WorkSafeBC.
There’s a lot to consider when creating your organization’s JOHSC. Check out our templates and resources, created with social service workers in mind, to help your process.
Introduction to Joint Health and Safety Committees
Terms of Reference Template
Meeting Minutes Template
Meeting Agenda Template
Recommendation Template
Co-Chair Prep Checklist
WorkSafeBC Handbook for JOHSC
WorkSafeBC JOHSC Evaluation Tool
Refusal of Unsafe Work FAQ
Refusal of Unsafe Work Procedure
Refusal of Unsafe Work Report Form
Refusal of Unsafe Work – Flow Chart
WorkSafeBC Requirements
Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees are a requirement of the Workers Compensation Act.
Learn more:
We provide Health and Safety Training for JOSHC members. Learn more about our JOSHC Training course.
What Employers Need to Know
JOHSC Duties and Functions
The committee has the following specific duties and functions:
- Identify situations that may be unhealthy or unsafe for workers and advise on effective systems to address them.
- Consider and promptly address worker health and safety complaints.
- Consult with workers and the employer on matters related to occupational health and safety and the working environment.
- Make recommendations to improve occupational health and safety conditions in the workplace.
- Recommend educational programs that promote health and safety, support compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and monitor their effectiveness.
- Advise the employer on required programs and policies under the regulations and monitor their implementation and effectiveness.
- Guide proposed changes to the workplace, including significant modifications to equipment, machinery, or processes that may impact worker health and safety.
- Ensure that incident investigations and regular workplace inspections are completed as required.
- Participate in inspections, investigations, and inquiries as outlined in the Workers Compensation Act and Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
JOHSC Structure
- Workplaces with 20 or more regularly employed workers are required to establish a JOHSC.
- If your workplace has more than nine but fewer than 20 workers, you will have a worker health and safety representative. This includes any workplace where 10 or more workers are employed for longer than a month.
- The committee must include at least four members, with additional members required based on the size and complexity of the workplace. There must be equal representation from workers and management.
- The JOHSC must meet at least once per month.
- Meeting minutes must be recorded and posted in a location accessible to all workers.
- A written evaluation must be conducted annually to determine the effectiveness of the JOHSC.
JOHSC Training
- Employers are required to provide the time and resources necessary for committee members to participate effectively.
- All new JOHSC members must receive eight hours of training on their legal responsibilities, roles, and functions, as required by WorkSafeBC, within six months of their appointment. Tip: Check out our JOSHC training courses.
- Health and safety representatives must receive four hours of training.
- All JOHSC members and worker health and safety representatives are entitled to eight hours of leave per year to attend occupational health and safety training.
Best Practices
Be Prepared
- Ensure proper representation by including members from different departments or work areas to reflect the entire workplace.
- Offer refresher training and ongoing education to keep members informed on current regulations and best practices.
- Use a standardized agenda to stay focused and ensure important items are addressed.
- Use data to set safety goals and measure progress.
Take Action
- Track all committee recommendations and actions to ensure timely follow-up.
- Communicate the outcomes of committee work to all workers.
- Regularly review incident statistics, inspection reports, and near-miss data to identify trends and prevent recurrence.
- Maintain organized records of meetings, training, inspections, and corrective actions.
Review and Update Your Program
- Actively seek input from workers on safety issues or concerns.
- Use suggestion boxes, safety surveys, or informal check-ins to collect feedback.
- Display committee member names and meeting minutes in a high-traffic area.
- Encourage JOHSC members to be visible and approachable to other workers.
Disclaimer: This resource is intended to help community social service organizations understand the requirements of developing different aspects of health and safety programs. It provides information on key concepts and directs users to relevant resources. The content above is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Please refer to the included links or consult official legislation and resources for current and accurate information.