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Recommendations
In small businesses, most employees
probably don't make a lot of formal, written
recommendations. That doesn't mean
however, that recommendations made
informally are less important, particularly
to the individual making them. Make sure
that you follow up, gather feedback, and
communicate priorities. Maybe you don't
need a formal process in your setting, but
talk about the best way to make suggestions
and share ideas so that they aren't lost:
sending an email, writing it down in a shared
journal — whatever makes the most sense
for your business.
Health & safety laws are written to protect
those who are vulnerable — formal
recommendations may be necessary in
a very large business, where the health
& safety system isn't well understood or
well developed, or where the nature of
the employer-employee relationship is
more adversarial. When Health & Safety
Representatives or Joint Health & Safety
Committee members make written
recommendations to the employer, then the
employer is required to respond, in writing,
within twenty-one days. Your response must
include a timetable for implementing the
recommendations with which you agree, or
the reasons why you don't agree at this time.
Training for Health & safety
Representatives/committee
Members
The law states that you must have a Joint
Health and Safety Committee if your
company has 20 or more employees. The
committee must have at least one worker
representative and one management
representative. The law also states that
at least one worker representative and
one management representative receive
specialized training to carry out their
functions. This training is called Certification.
Please visit our web site for more information.
www.wsps.ca/training
Step 5: The Internal Responsibility System in Action
