The committee should also be involved with choosing who will provide medical, consulting or other services. The committee shall be composed of an equal number of representatives appointed by the Employer and the Union and shall be co-chaired by a Union and an Employer representative. The general responsibility of the committee will be to promote a safe and healthful workplace by recognizing hazards and recommending abatement of hazards and education programs. Members of the Health and Safety Committee shall be allowed paid time off from their regular work while performing committee duties and shall also be allowed paid time off for training relating to health and safety. Management can use committees as a way to look like they are concerned rather than actually doing something to correct a problem.
Committees can also become a way to delay addressing real problems.
Don't let the committee become part of the problem. If the committee is not doing an effective job, the union may want to stop participating until management shows that it is serious. Remember, the union should always have its own health and safety committee so that it can still act if the joint committee is ineffective.