What is a Health and Safety Committee? 

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Chapter 3 of the WHS Regulation 2017 is dedicated to how a business manages health and safety in workplaces.

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Part 5 of the WHS Act 2011 is dedicated to Representation, Consultation and Cooperation in regards to an organisation's duty to consult workers on WHS matters that will or may affect persons in the workplace. The organisation's first step to resolving WHS matters is to consult the people whom may be affected, get their views and suggestions. With that information the organisation can make the final decisions and commit the finances.

 

Businesses must have systems and processes that facilitate consultation on WHS matters in the workplace. A health and safety committee can be an additional resource to consult on health and safety matters make decisions, with proper input and contribution from staff and workers. A health and safety committee addresses WHS matters for the workplace as a whole, whereas HSRs deal with the concerns of the groups of people they represent in the workgroups within the workplace. HSRs may also be memebrs of the Health and Safety Committee. 

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What are the functions of a Health and Safety Committee?

 

The specific functions of a health and safety committee are to:

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a) to facilitate co-operation between the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU) and workers in instigating, developing and carrying out measures designed to ensure the workers’ health and safety at work, ...

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b) to assist in developing standards, rules and procedures relating to health and safety that are to be followed or complied with at the workplace, ...

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WHS committees may also be involved in business-specific functions centred around WHS consultation as agreed between the business and the HSC.​

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SafeWork NSW FACT SHEET

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Running effective HSCs - Solutions to common problems (courtenell.com.au)​​