Safety committees

A health and safety representative (HSR) can also be a member of a health and safety committee (HSC).

Health and safety committees allow businesses (and other PCBUs) to work together with workers on health and safety matters.

A committee is effective if you have a large business and need to consult on matters that are the same across several work groups or workplaces.

Functions of an HSC

The main functions of the health and safety committee are to:

• facilitate co-operation in instigating, developing and carrying out measures to improve the safety of workers
• help develop health and safety standards, rules and procedures.

Establishing a committee

An HSC can be established on your own initiative or at the request of:

• a HSR, or
• five or more workers.

A person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU) must establish an HSC within two months of being requested to do so.

An HSC can also be established for workers who carry out work at one or more locations or for those who do not have a fixed place of work.

The Health and safety committee templates (PDF, 226.51 KB) provide a starting point for HSRs and HSC committees and can be adapted to suit specific needs.

The templates should be considered in conjunction with the information contained in Worker Representation and Participation Guide (PDF, 528.69 KB).

Committee membership

The make-up of the HSC is agreed between the person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU) and workers. A PCBU can nominate up to half the members. The workers on an HSC must ensure genuine worker representation and an HSR can be a member of the HSC, if they want to be.

A HSR is to be a member of the HSC, if they consent. If there are two or more HSRs at a workplace, then they can choose one or more who consent to be members of the HSC.

Operation of the HSC

The HSC must meet at least every three months, and at any reasonable time requested by at least half the members of the committee.

To make the consultation effective, members must be provided with:

• reasonable time to attend meetings and carry out their functions as a HSC member
• be paid at their normal rate of pay when undertaking committee tasks
• access to information about hazards and risks at the workplace, as well as information relating to the safety of workers at the workplace (excluding workers' personal or medical information without the workers' consent).