healthandsafety

1. Each local union must form a standing union health and safety committee
(committees) that is responsible and accountable to the Local Executive Committee
(LEC).

2. Each committee shall be composed of an appropriate number of members who are
appointed by the LEC as health and safety committee persons.

3. All health and safety committee persons shall serve on the committee for a term of
office determined by the LEC, and shall serve at the pleasure of the LEC.

4. All health and safety committee persons must have completed at least one (1)
weekend health and safety school, and by the end of their first term in office must
have completed a 30-hour health and safety program.

5. Health and safety committee persons shall focus on health and safety matters
including participation as union representatives on joint (union-management) health
and safety committees.

6. The union health and safety committee shall be responsible for the following:

a. Investigating members’ complaints and assisting in obtaining a remedy.
b. Inspecting the workplace as per the provision of the legislation or
      collective agreement.
c. Conducting or arranging health and safety training for local members.
d. Regularly informing members about health and safety hazards and their
     rights under the legislation and their collective agreement.
e. Representing members during Ministry of Labour inspection tours, work
      refusals and health and safety hearings.
f. Calling in the Ministry of Labour inspectorate when concerns are raised by
     individual members.

7. Union representation of joint (union-management) health and safety committees
shall consist of at least one (1) member of the LEC, and an appropriate number of
health and safety committee persons appointed by the LEC from the union health
and safety committee.

8. Union representatives on joint committees shall be solely accountable to the LEC
and the membership at all regularly scheduled meetings.

9. The union health and safety committee shall meet as required and report to the
LEC and the membership at all regularly scheduled meetings.

10. Each health and safety committee person shall be provided with a wallet-size
certificate and lapel pin with a health and safety designation recognizing their status
within the local union.

NEW! Office Ergonomics Handbook

Limited numbers of the Office Ergonomics Handbook, written by the Occupational
Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) are available for OPSEU members at
their regional offices. You can also download a .pdf of the handbook below.

What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker.

Ergonomics aims to design work stations, work processes, equipment, and tools to fit
workers of different sizes, shapes and limits. Designing work stations to suit workers
decreases the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

The main ergonomic risk factors in the office are:

    · Repetition — tasks or body movements carried out over and over again.

    · awkward postures — body positions that contort your bones and muscles, such
as twisting your neck to view your monitor.

    · static forces — maintaining a position for a long period of time, such as viewing
the monitor with a bent neck.

The Office Ergonomics Handbook will help you create an ergonomically appropriate
work station and make other improvements in your work environment.

Workers rights and ergonomics

The Occupational Health and Safety Act does not directly address ergonomic issues.
It does give you three basic rights:

    · the right to know about workplace health and safety hazards.

    · the right to participate in making recommendations about health and safety.

    · the right to refuse work if you have reason to believe it endangers your health
and safety.

For health care workers, Health Care Regulation 67/93 Sec 22-27 provides
directions on lighting, and Sec 24 provides specifics on computer use: If a worker is
required to use a video display terminal (VDT) for a continuous period of one hour or
more, the worker shall have at least five minutes of time free from such work in every
hour. Other workers may use the regulation as a guideline.

Use your rights

You can use your three rights under the Act to improve the ergonomics of your work
places.

    · Use the handbook as a guide

    · Adjust chairs and other equipment as best you can to create an ergonomically
appropriate work station

    · Report complaints about ergonomics to your supervisors

Joint Health and Safety Committees, or Health and Safety representatives should
make recommendations to the employer on improving workplace ergonomics.

Your Collective Agreement may address ergonomics. Collective agreements often
contain language allowing a VDT user a short break after steady computer use, or
employer-paid eye exams. Gaining such provisions in your Collective Agreement
should be part of your ongoing bargaining strategy.