Occupational Health and Safety Q&A

To be effective, joint occupational health and safety committee reps need education and training on a wide range of issues. BCNU's OHS department offers members courses on topics like research and problem-solving, and hazards, inspections and investigations.

Sandra Ramos is one of those members. She works at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and served as the elected BCNU Central Vancouver region OHS rep before beginning her new role as a full-time steward at the busiest hospital in the province. Ramos brings extensive experience to her role as a VGH JOHS committee worker rep.

We sat down with Ramos to find out about her own experience and hear her thoughts on the elements she believes are important for a well-functioning and effective JOHS committee.

UPDATE What makes for an effective Joint Occupational Health and Safety committee?

RAMOS An effective and well-functioning JOHS committee must have the full and neutral support of the employer's safety department. This includes both health and safety advisers and the managers and directors. The committee's culture has to be truly rooted in safety, and not fear-based. That means the employer's safety representatives must do more than simply ensuring the employer is complying with provincial OHS regulations. That's the bare minimum. Ideally, they should be engaged with worker reps in promoting a culture of safety.

UPDATE What would that culture look like?

RAMOS Well, the committee would be focused on prevention over damage control and putting out fires. Recommendations to improve safety would be organized and prioritized with the valuable input of worker reps. It's also about recognizing that the concept "joint" means the committee has no hierarchy, and a true desire for a safer workplace is always the driving and unifying focus of the committee. It goes without saying that respectful communication and acknowledgement of all the representatives' (worker and employer) perspectives and experiences are equally valuable.

UPDATE That's the ideal. What's the reality of a JOHS committee worker rep in practice? 

RAMOS The work can be challenging, to say the least. You have to be comfortable speaking truths. I can't help but do that! The passion and deep desire to make the path easier for my fellow workers is what drives me. No change or empowerment can come if workers stay silent. I think of the famous dictum, "be the change you wish to see in the world."

It's always important to stress that this work is actually independent of any employer policies and procedures, or negotiated agreements between the union and the employer – and that's exciting. OHS regulations are provincial legislation. I love reminding the employer "you don't get to say 'no' to this – it's the law!" That can be a difficult reality for employers to acknowledge. But if they do, it means that one day we will have a health-care system that doesn't just "tick boxes" off to ensure compliance, but that truly cares for its caregivers. That's why my first point is so important. This work is about human beings with actual lived experiences. In health care, nurses are charged with caring for the most ill and vulnerable in our communities. There needs to be a cultural shift that supports actions over words, promises and fancily worded values.

UPDATE How has that work being going so far?

RAMOS It's important for health and safety advocates to take a long view when it comes to effecting change, and to set realistic, attainable goals. Otherwise, JOHS committee worker reps might become frustrated or disillusioned. As my mentors have taught me, the journey toward safer worksites is a marathon, not a sprint. That's why celebrating successes along the way is so important for sustaining our engagement with the work.

UPDATE Are there specific best practices that JOHS committees should follow to help secure those successes?

RAMOS A truly effective committee has more than enough reps who are willing and eager to engage in the work. Whether or not this happens is a reflection of a workplace's culture. Workers will be drawn to the work if they are welcomed and trained in a psychologically safe and supportive environment. It goes without saying that worker reps should never be "voluntold" or mandated by the employer to participate on their JOHS committee. The desire to participate should be driven by an individual's personal desire and experiences.

It is important for JOHS committee bulletin boards to be up to date and located in highly visible area and with all required information on who your local reps are, how to report properly and how to get involved. The board should also have accurate and committee-adopted minutes. They reflect the important work of the committee, demonstrate accountability, and help workers understand the far-reaching impact the committee can have at their worksite and in their working lives.

Committee efficiency and effectiveness surveys should be conducted annually and completed in a timely and intentional manner before the end of the year. The committee-member completion rate should be as close to 100 percent as possible. Anything less than that really should be addressed and explored. There should be full transparency, with survey results reflected in posted meeting minutes that indicate what the committee has learned and how it plans to improve as needed.

UPDATE What kinds of issues can members bring to their JOHS committee?

RAMOS Any issue of concern, including potential hazards or actual incidents that have caused harm, whether physical or psychological. In the last decade there's been a growing focus on psychological injury. As a psychiatric nurse of 17 years, this warms my heart. Words can't express how important this is to me and this profession.

We live in a high paced, high-demand and high-workload society. We must care for our caregivers and this starts by acknowledging and re-humanizing the incredibly valuable work nurses do. In this time of nurse shortages, high retirement rates and high overtime, with far more jobs than there are nurses, we need to wake up to the fact that we will continue to lose nurses if we don't address psychological injury. Burnout is a component of this. And JOHS committees are where we can effectively address it.

I've worked in many worksites and care settings in my career and I'm here today immersed in this work because of my personal journey. I was almost a statistic – one of those of nurses who walked away from their profession mid-career. Thank goodness for my BCNU steward and OHS staff mentors who've worked alongside me, inspired me and taught me how to live my values. They've paved the way and showed me how to be the change I want to see in this world.

An effective JOHS committee understands and receives ongoing education on psychological injury, how to prevent it, and how to advocate for psychological safety just as we do for physical safety.

UPDATE What kinds of supports do JOHS committee worker reps receive from their union?

RAMOS I have had the fortunate opportunity to be mentored by some the best BCNU OHS advocates out there! The JOHS committee education I've received from staff has been invaluable to my work as a steward.

BCNU's OHS and education departments have done a great job of teaching members about the fundamental principles of workplace health and safety. The union has also stepped up its education offerings by focusing on areas like role modelling and effective worker advocacy, which is the true nature of this work.

The timing of the recent update of the BCNU OHS courses this year could not have been better given the stressed-out state of the nursing profession and upcoming Nurses' Bargaining Association negotiations. Workplace safety must always be our central focus. It's critical for addressing and improving our working conditions and promoting the retention and recruitment of nurses in this noble profession.

When you take any of these courses and meet the amazing people working for us, you really do start to feel like this is your union and what you say and do does matter. And having the support of a knowledgeable, professional and caring staff team helps JOHS committee reps navigate the up and down nature of this work. •

UPDATE (Fall 2022)