Joint committee member & worker health and safety representative training
Joint committee members and worker health and safety representatives play an important role in workplace safety. Education and training are key to fulfilling this role.
- Mandatory training
- Annual education leave
- Resources
Mandatory training
The requirements for mandatory training are different for joint committee members and worker health and safety representatives.
Joint committees
All joint committee members selected on or after April 3, 2017 must receive eight hours of training and instruction on the following topics:
- The duties and functions of a joint committee
- The rules of procedure of the joint committee
- The requirements around conducting incident investigations
- The requirements around conducting regular workplace inspections, and how to make regular inspections
- The requirements around responding to a refusal of unsafe work
- The requirements for annually evaluating the joint committee
Learning materials, including a 2-hour online component, are available to address these training requirements.
Mandatory training can also be delivered by the employer or external training providers. To find training near you, contact the health and safety association (HSA) for your industry, or local OHS training providers.
Worker health and safety representatives
All worker health and safety representatives selected on or after April 3, 2017 must receive four hours of training and instruction on the following topics:
- The duties and functions of a joint committee
- The requirements around conducting incident investigations
- The requirements around conducting regular workplace inspections, and how to make regular inspections
- The requirements around responding to a refusal of unsafe work
The Worker Health and Safety Representative Fundamentals online course addresses this required training for worker health and safety representatives in workplaces without a joint committee.
Mandatory training can also be delivered by the employer or external training providers. To find training near you, contact the health and safety association (HSA) for your industry, or local OHS training providers.
Annual education leave
Each joint committee member and worker health and safety rep is entitled to eight hours of leave per year to attend occupational health and safety training courses.
For information on available courses, contact local OHS training providers. Courses are considered acceptable if the employer follows a reasonable process of assessing the training needs of committee members and selects appropriate training programs.
Resources
Worker Health and Safety Representative Fundamentals
Workplaces that have more than 9 but fewer than 20 workers require a worker health and safety representative. The representative has the same duties and functions as a joint committee, to the extent...
Joint health and safety committees: Frequently asked questions
This resource answers common questions about joint health and safety committees, including when they are required, selection process, training, and their role in the workplace.
For more information...
Joint Health and Safety Committee Fundamentals: Facilitator Guide
This guide is designed to provide advice and assistance in delivering the facilitated component of the Joint Health and Safety Committee Fundamentals course, which in turn is designed to be conducted...