Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 - SECT 72

Health and safety committees

72. Health and safety committees



(1) An employer must establish a health and safety committee in accordance
with this section-

   (a)  within 3 months after being requested to do so by a health and safety
        representative; or

   (b)  if required by the regulations to do so.

Penalty: 10 penalty units for a natural person; 50 penalty units for a body
corporate. Note An employer is required to consult employees on the membership
of the committee (see Part 4).

(2) At least half of the members of a health and safety committee must be
employees (and, so far as practicable, health and safety representatives or
deputy health and safety representatives) of the employer.

(3) The functions of a health and safety committee are-

   (a)  to facilitate co-operation between the employer and employees in
        instigating, developing and carrying out measures designed to ensure
        the health and safety at work of the employees; and

   (b)  to formulate, review and disseminate (in other languages if
        appropriate) to the employees the standards, rules and procedures
        relating to health and safety that are to be carried out or complied
        with at the workplace; and

   (c)  such other functions as are prescribed by the regulations or agreed
        between the employer and the committee.

(4) A health and safety committee must meet-

   (a)  at least once every 3 months; and

   (b)  at any other time if at least half of its members require a meeting.

(5) Subject to this Act and the regulations, a health and safety committee may
determine its own procedures.









Division 8-Resolution of health and safety issues