NPHSC Meeting – February 25, 2011

NATIONAL POLICY HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

FEBRUARY 25th, 2011

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

ATTENDANCE

Michael Pearson - Co-Champion, Occupational Health and Safety

Management Representatives

Jody Thomas, Co-Chair, Deputy Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard

Jacinta Berthier, Enforcement Policy & Standards (alternate for Paul Steele)

Jean Frenette, Fleet Safety & Security, Canadian Coast Guard (alternate for Steve Peck)

Jay Parsons, Oceans and Science

Employee Representatives

Terry Fanning, Co-chair, Union of Environment Workers, Public Service AllianceCanada

Erland MacIsaac, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Martin Grégoire, Canadian Auto Workers

Doug Pittman, International brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Technical Advisors

Michel Cécire, Integrated Logistic Support

Serge Marion, Occupational Health and Safety

Isabelle Tremblay, Labour Relations

Sonia Virc, Legal Services

Guest Speakers:

Linda Dacre, Public Service Health Program, Health Canada

Art Davies, Occupational Health Medicine, Health Canada (via teleconference)

Absence:

Steve Peck, Marine Personnel

Joy Thomson, (alternate for Mark Boucher), Canadian Merchant Service Guild

Paula Dignan, Union of Environment Workers, Public Service Alliance of Canada

Paul Steele, Conservation and Protection

Grant Boland, Association of Canadian Financial Officers

Jacques Dupont, Canadian Association of Professional Employees

Daryl Hoelke, Public Service AllianceCanada

Observer:

Lionel Croteau

Minutes were taken by Chantal Charest, Administrative Officer, Corporate Occupational Health and Safety.

1. Opening Remarks

The meeting was called to order at 9:40 a.m. The meeting was chaired by Jody Thomas,Management Representatives Co-Chair. The participants were welcomed to the meeting and introduced themselves. Quorum was confirmed.

Presentations on the Public Service Health Program were given by Linda Dacre, Director, Public Service Health Program, Health Canada and Art Davies, National Advisor, Occupational Health Medicine, Health Canada (via teleconference).

2. Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was formally adopted.

3. Review and Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting –

November 25th , 2010

The minutes were reviewed, and approved by members on ______, 2011 and signed by both co-chairs onDecember 23, 2010. TheNovember 25thminutes have not yet been posted on the intranet and have not yet been sent to Departmental Management Board members for information.

4. Confirm Next Meeting Date

The members agreed on the tentative dates of May 26th, September 8th and November 24th, 2011for the next national policy health and safety committee meetings to be held in Ottawa, Ontario.

5. Reports – Regional Occupational Health and Safety Program

a) Regional reports were presented to National Policy Health and Safety Committee, missing information from a few Regions.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

It was proposed that Corporate Occupational Health and Safety will to send short summaries as well as instead of sending meeting minutes. (was this to be done by us or the Regions, or both?).

Corporate OHS will look into providing our information to the Regions (i.e. things to come, etc.). Consultation with the Regions will be made to see what they think.

b)Assurance of Voluntary Complianceand Directions were was discussed. There might be a is a need for them to be formalized a tracking system and a need to insure that actions are being taken. It was noted that Canadian Coast Guard has a system in place.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

Corporate Occupational Health and Safety will find out how they are being tracked, what way are they followed-up and how are they are being dealt with in the Regions in a timely fashion.

6. Directive on Violence Prevention in the Workplace

Corporate Occupational Health and Safety is to sendthe tabulated comments received on the directive to Committee members prior to the next meeting.

7. Corporate Occupational Health and Safety Program

a)Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Health and Safety Manual is dated 2006.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

Manual needs to be revised.

b)Threat Hazard Analysis“search systemlibrary” is being created.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

Still on-going. Library System needs to be finalized and posted on the web site.

c) Art Davies’ presentation on Fitness Toto Work Evaluations should be posted on the website.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

1. 1.CorporateCorporateOccupational Health and Safety is working on finding someone to replace our webmaster so that all our information is updated and that required information is can be posted ion a timely fashionthe website. In the meantime, copies of the presentation will be sent to the Regions for information.

2. Employers/employees should be strongly encouraged to inform themselves on Fitness to Work Evaluations.the subject.

d) Training ???

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

e8. Occupational Health and Safety Recognition awards

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

  1. Corporate Occupational Health and Safety to inquire on the process that was taken to give out these awards and to follow-up with Terry Fanning and Jay Parsons.
  2. There is a need on understanding how occupational health and safety awards are given out. This subject is to be put on the agenda for future meetings.

9. Automated External Defibrillators

Some automated external defibrillators have already been purchased by some of the Regions and requests for them have been made from others. There is a concern that we don’t have enough information on the subject to make a decision at the moment. There might be areas where She is worried about possible delays in emergency response which may could indicate a need for automated external defibrillators in the workplace.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

  1. Corporate Occupational Health Safety is to coordinate the creation of a working group to further examine the issue by soliciting all bargaining agents.
  2. The working group is to do an inventory of where automated external defibrillators have been purchased and have that information for the next meeting.
  3. The working groupis to find out if the people who have purchased automated external defibrillators for their workplace have established a policypoliciesy/guidelines. Plan on implementing one.
  4. The working groupis to to create a guideline look into how to determine which workplace would require needs automated external defibrillators and what do we base that decision on.

Note: Operation of automated external defibrillators is already included in most First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation courses so no extra cost would be required for training.

10. Personal Protection Equipment - Protective Footwear

If there is a specific amount mentioned, we should make sure that the amount is current, relevant for each Region and evaluated depending on threat hazard analysis.

DECISIONS/ACTIONS:

1Agree that reviewing the amount every two years is reasonable.

2.Consultation with Regions will be necessary. Corporate Occupational Health and Safety is to draft questionnaire to be sent to the Regions.

3. Corporate Occupational Health and Safety to ask for a report from Canadian Coast Guard, Conservation Protection, Science, etc, on how they proceed.

11. Other business

There was no other issue.

Meeting adjourned at 11:45a.m.

Original signed by: /Original signé par: / Original signed by: / Original signé par :
Co-Chair / coprésident Date / Co-Chair /coprésident Date

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