Service-Wide Committee on Occupational Health and Safety

The role of the Service-Wide Committee on Occupational Health and Safety (SWOHS) is to participate in the development and review of all Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat policies, programs and issues relating to occupational health and safety. The SWOHS Committee provides advice and leadership to the departmental or agency policy committees.

SWOHS Communiqués

Committee Advisor: Karen.Kruger@njc-cnm.gc.ca 

Quarterly Report to the National Joint Council (June 2022)

Regular activities:

• The Committee has met once (1) since the last Council meeting.
• The Committee wishes to note the departure of Éric Thibeault from UCCO-SACC-CSN and to thank him for his contributions to the Committee.
• The Committee received clarification from the Public Service Occupational Health Program regarding the federal guidance in situations of exposure and close contact to COVID-19.
• The Committee received a presentation from the Committee on Mental Health Support Mechanisms (CMHSM), a joint committee co-chaired by PSAC and TBS. The CMHSM is tasked with identifying positions that are inherently exposed to explicit and disturbing material or potentially threatening situations, identifying existing best practices for support mechanisms for the affected positions, and making recommendations. The Committee provided feedback and invited the CMHSM to provide a follow up presentation.
• The Committee received a presentation from the Labour Program providing an overview of Administrative Monetary Penalties and the role they play under the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. The Committee is considering the advisability of preparing a communiqué on the issue.
• SWOHS sub-committees continue to actively work on developing resources and materials which will assist departments, agencies, and Policy Committees.
  1. Harassment and Violence Prevention (HVP) Tools Working Group – the sub-committee has met two (2) times. On April 4, a web event was hosted by the NJC on the Canada School of Public Service platform providing a quick overview of approximately 22 resources applicable to the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. The event was well received. There were 1,786 registrations and 1,317 connections.
  2. Sub-committee on OHS Training – the sub-committee has not met since the last Council meeting.

Outstanding item(s):

• The Committee will continue to monitor the progress on the WPHVPR.

Next meeting: July 21, 2022