Establishing a committee

There are many procedures for setting up health and safety committees. Provided the correct steps are taken it doesn't matter who begins the process.

A Health and Safety Representative (HSR), or five workers from a workplace with at least 20 employees, can ask their employer to establish a health and safety committee. The employer then has two months to start the process.

For organisations with less than 20 employees, health and safety can be discussed at:

• Staff meetings - with health and safety as a standard agenda item.
• Toolbox meetings.
• Hand over sessions (ie. discussions between shift changes).
• Trip debriefings - for people who travel as part of their work.