Health and Safety or Ergonomics Committees

As a first step, establish a health and safety or ergonomics committee. A committee of labor and management working together can get problems corrected more quickly. However, the union can still push for changes even if the employer does not choose to cooperate in a committee.

The purpose of the committee is to develop, implement and monitor the effectiveness of the ergonomics program. This requires taking the actions outlined in the previous chapter:

• Find out which and how many workers are affected.
• Identify the conditions that are causing problems.
• Develop recommendations concerning equipment design, work organization and training.
• Establish a medical surveillance program.
• Determine whether the ergonomics program is reducing injuries.

The entire committee should be involved with the evaluation and purchasing of equipment. The workers who will use the equipment should be given the chance to try it before it is purchased.