Workplace Health, Safety & Environment Committee
Every worker has the right to a workplace that is safe, healthy, and free of harassment. FPSE’s Workplace Health, Safety & Environment Committee (WHSEC) brings together representatives to learn about legal rights, to identify issues and trends in the post-secondary education sector, and to work with other labour organizations for improvements to workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety laws. More information about your rights can be found under Health & Safety.
Committee Members
Chair |
Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association |
Staff Rep |
Steve Kwon |
Local Reps |
|
Local 1 |
Capilano University Faculty Association |
Local 2 |
Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association |
Local 3 |
Faculty Association of the College of New Caledonia |
Local 4 |
Douglas College Faculty Association |
Local 5 |
Kwantlen Faculty Association |
Local 6 |
College of the Rockies Faculty Association |
Local 7 |
University of the Fraser Valley Faculty & Staff Association |
Local 8 |
Vancouver Island University Faculty Association |
Local 9 |
Okanagan College Faculty Association |
Local 10 |
Selkirk College Faculty Association |
Local 11 |
Academic Workers’ Union (Coast Mountain College) |
Local 12 |
Camosun College Faculty Association |
Local 14 |
Langara Faculty Association |
Local 15 |
Vancouver Community College Faculty Association |
Local 16 |
North Island College Faculty Association |
Local 17 |
TRU Open Learning Faculty Association |
Local 19 |
Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association |
Local 21 |
Education & Training Employees' Association |
Local 22 |
Emily Carr University of Art + Design Faculty Association |
Local 24 |
Quest University Faculty Union |
Exec Liaison |
FPSE Member-at-Large |
NRFC Liaison |
Camosun College Faculty Association |
Policy Statement
The Workplace Health, Safety & Environment Committee shall assist FPSE locals to identify and assess the current and future occupational health and safety needs of their members, and shall promote means of enabling FPSE members individually and collectively to develop their own occupational health and safety activities.
Responsibilities
- To create an awareness of occupational health and safety issues among the members of FPSE locals.
- To gather and disseminate information to member locals on occupational health and safety needs, activities, and services.
- To maintain ongoing contact with each member local Occupational Health & Safety Committee through a designated representative at each local.
- To work to correct safety deficiencies in the workplace.
- To recommend changes to provincial and federal health and safety legislation and regulations.
- To form an Occupational Health & Safety Committee in each local that complies with the Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Regulations, which shall take such actions necessary to promote safety awareness amongst the members of the local.
- To actively work to prevent accident and injury in the workplace.
- To assist FPSE to lobby governments to improve safety regulations.
- To create an understanding of the Workers’ Compensation Act and other legislation that affects the health and safety of the workers.
- To join with other external groups to promote occupational health and safety.
- To create a consciousness of and to correct environmental hazards dangerous to female instructors and students.
- To promote development of First Aid/Emergency procedures and facilities in the colleges and institutes.
- To work with other committees to gather and disseminate information on occupational health and to liaise.
- To recommend contract language on occupational health and safety matters to negotiating committees for incorporation in collective agreements.
Terms of Reference
Reporting: Reports regularly to the FPSE President and the Presidents’ Council.
Composition: Each local shall name a specific member as their designated representative to the Committee. The Non-Regular Faculty Committee may appoint one person to the Committee.
A member will be appointed by the Executive Committee, with voice but without vote, to act as liaison between the Standing Committee, the Executive, and Presidents' Council.
Term of Appointment: Locals shall endeavour to elect or appoint representatives for a two year term.
Chairperson: The Committee shall elect a new Chairperson at the last meeting of the Committee held prior to the convening of the Annual General Meeting and Convention.
The Committee shall endeavour to elect a Chairperson who has served on the Committee a previous term as a local representative.
The Chairperson or designate shall have observer status at meetings of the Presidents’ Council with voice but no vote. The responsibility of the Chairperson includes attendance by the Chairperson or designate at the Presidents’ Council meeting immediately subsequent to a meeting of the Committee or upon request of the FPSE President.
The Chairperson shall attend the Annual General Meeting and Convention. The Convention shall provide orientation and planning opportunities for Committee Chairpersons and facilitate their meeting as a group.
The duly elected Chairperson of the Committee must be the designated representative of a local to continue being Chairperson.
Meetings: Such meetings as are required to fulfill its responsibilities, limited only by the funding allocated to the Committee. The Committee may substitute or include a workshop or conference for a meeting.
Observers: By invitation of the Chair.
Quorum: A majority of locals.
Voting: Positions adopted by consensus among designated representatives; otherwise by simple majority of those voting
(By-Law #6).
Funds: As allocated in the annual budget.
Resources of Interest
- FPSE Locals Lockdown policies (Feb 2014)
- FPSE Locals Working alone policies (Nov 2013)
- FPSE Local MSDS software use table (Nov 2012)
- Occupational Stress in FPSE Members
(Report by Vic Catano, St. Mary's University, 2010) - Canadian Association of University Teacher's Health and Safety Fact Sheets
- Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety
- Canosh, Canada 's national occupational health and safety website (CCOHS)
- CUPE Health and Safety
- North American Occupational Health and Safety Week, sponsored
by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering - Public Health Agency of Canada
- Workers' Compensation Board