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Joint health and safety committee requirements by province, and a minutes template

The headcount that calls for a committee, or for a single representative, is different in each province and territory. Here is what each official text says, then Ontario's committee rules in detail and what a set of minutes should hold.

In Ontario? The committee pack (minutes, response form, inspection record) comes with your policies, filled in: Ontario Safety Policy Bundle, CA$139 →

Committee or representative, by province and territory

Count the workers the way each line says: per workplace, per employer or per work site.

Ontario

  • A joint health and safety committee is required at a workplace where 20 or more workers are regularly employed. A constructor does not need one at a project expected to last less than three months. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 9(1)-(2))
  • Where no joint health and safety committee is required and more than five workers are regularly employed, the employer must have the workers select at least one health and safety representative. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 8(1))

Alberta

  • An employer that regularly employs 20 or more workers must establish a joint health and safety committee. (OHS Act, SA 2020, c O-2.2, s. 13(1))
  • An employer that regularly employs 5 to 19 workers must designate a worker who is not associated with management as the health and safety representative. (OHS Act, SA 2020, c O-2.2, s. 14(1))

British Columbia

  • An employer must establish and maintain a joint health and safety committee in each workplace where 20 or more of its workers are regularly employed. (Workers Compensation Act, RSBC 2019, c 1, s. 31)
  • A worker health and safety representative is needed in each workplace where more than 9 but fewer than 20 workers are regularly employed. (Workers Compensation Act, RSBC 2019, c 1, s. 45)

Saskatchewan

  • At every place of employment where 10 or more workers of one employer work, the employer must establish an occupational health committee. (Saskatchewan Employment Act ss. 3-22, 3-24)

Manitoba

  • An employer must establish a safety and health committee at each workplace where at least 20 of its workers are regularly employed. Construction sites that need a prime contractor follow separate rules. (Workplace Safety and Health Act, C.C.S.M. c. W210, s. 40(1)-(3))
  • Where no committee is required but 5 or more workers are regularly employed at a workplace other than a construction project, and at every construction project, a worker who is not part of management must be designated as the safety and health representative. (Workplace Safety and Health Act, C.C.S.M. c. W210, s. 41(1))

New Brunswick

  • An employer with 20 or more employees regularly employed at a place of employment, other than a project site, must ensure a joint health and safety committee is established. (OHS Act, S.N.B. 1983, c. O-0.2, s. 14(1))
  • At 5 to 19 employees, a health and safety representative is needed only if the safety policy provides for one or the Commission requires one. (OHS Act, S.N.B. 1983, c. O-0.2, s. 17(2)-(3))

Nova Scotia

  • A joint occupational health and safety committee is required at a workplace where 20 or more persons are regularly employed, and a representative where 5 or more are regularly employed and no committee is required. (OHS Act, S.N.S. 1996, c. 7 (committee and representative sections; numbers not verified))

Prince Edward Island

  • A joint occupational health and safety committee is required at a workplace where 20 or more persons are regularly employed by an employer. (OHS Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. O-1.01, s. 25(1)-(3), (8))
  • Where 5 or more workers are employed at a workplace and no committee is required, the workers must select at least one representative. (OHS Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. O-1.01, s. 26(1)-(3))

Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Where 20 or more workers are employed at a workplace, the employer must establish an occupational health and safety committee. (OHS Act, RSNL 1990, c. O-3, ss. 37, 38, 38.1)
  • Where fewer than 20 workers are employed at a workplace, a worker not connected with management must be designated as the worker health and safety representative. (OHS Act, RSNL 1990, c. O-3, ss. 41, 42.1)

Yukon

  • A committee is required where 20 or more workers are regularly employed, and a worker health and safety representative where five or more but fewer than 20 are. (Workers' Safety and Compensation Act, SY 2021, c. 11, ss. 36, 37(1), 39(1))

Northwest Territories

  • A committee is required at a work site where 20 or more workers work or are likely to work for more than 90 days. Where there are fewer than 20 and no committee, the employer designates at least one worker as the health and safety representative. (OHS Regulations, R-039-2015, ss. 37-39)

Nunavut

  • A committee is required at a work site where 20 or more workers work or are likely to work for more than 90 days. Where there are fewer than 20 and no committee, the employer designates at least one worker as the health and safety representative. (OHS Regulations, Nu Reg R-003-2016, ss. 37-39)

Not covered here: Quebec and federally regulated workplaces. We have not read those rules for this topic, so we do not quote them.

Ontario: how the committee works

What goes in committee minutes

Minutes are the committee's memory and the first thing anyone asks to see. A set that works covers the same headings every time:

HeadingWhat to write
Meeting detailsWorkplace, date, both co-chairs, members present
Items from the last meetingEach open item, its status and its owner
Inspection findingsWhat the monthly inspection found, where, and the action taken
Incidents, complaints and concernsWhat was raised, by whom, and the outcome of the discussion
Recommendations to the employerEach recommendation, the date it was sent and the date a written answer is due
Next meetingThe date, who took the minutes, and the co-chairs’ initials

Track the due date for every written recommendation from the day it arrives. The bundle's response form has a column for each recommendation, whether you agree, and the timetable or the reasons.

Questions

How many workers before an Ontario workplace needs a committee?

  • Ontario: A joint health and safety committee is required at a workplace where 20 or more workers are regularly employed. A constructor does not need one at a project expected to last less than three months. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 9(1)-(2))

How often does an Ontario committee meet?

  • Ontario: The committee must meet at least once every three months. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 9(33))

How fast does the employer answer committee recommendations?

  • Ontario: An employer who receives written recommendations from the committee or a co-chair must respond in writing within 21 days, with a timetable for the recommendations it agrees with and reasons for any it disagrees with. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 9(20)-(21))

Is the threshold the same in every province?

No. Two examples:

  • Saskatchewan: At every place of employment where 10 or more workers of one employer work, the employer must establish an occupational health committee. (Saskatchewan Employment Act ss. 3-22, 3-24)
  • British Columbia: A worker health and safety representative is needed in each workplace where more than 9 but fewer than 20 workers are regularly employed. (Workers Compensation Act, RSBC 2019, c 1, s. 45)

Do the minutes have to be kept?

  • Ontario: The committee must keep minutes of its proceedings and make them available to an inspector. (OHSA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 9(22))

Where do I get the minutes template?

The full template, a written response to recommendations and a monthly inspection record are in the Ontario Safety Policy Bundle, CA$139, filled in with your company and workplaces.

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