Overview

As a sensible employer, you should make statutory expectations your workplace policy. You should empower all of your workers to make meaningful contributions to a healthy and safe workplace. Going the extra mile to encourage and facilitate effective safety meetings, recommendations and employee input will pay off, not only in terms of the important objective of having a healthy and safe workplace, but also in terms of creating a team of workers and managers with a common objective to work both safely and productively.

At the end of the unit, you will be able to:

• Understand the important role of an employee safety representative
• Determine the preferred characteristics of a management safety representative
• Support and encourage a joint health and safety committee
• Improve the effectiveness of safety inspections in your workplace
• Prepare for your own safety self-audit
• Respond appropriately to recommendations for improvement

Author Overview

Jamie Knight is a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, a firm specializing in the representation of management in all areas of Labour Relations and Employment law. Jamie’s practice includes acting as spokesperson at collective bargaining negotiations. Jamie has handled hundreds of arbitration cases and he frequently guides employers through the process of responding to union organizing campaigns.

Jamie also represents both employers and senior executives who require advice at the outset of employment, during employment, or particularly at the end of employment. This includes dealing with fiduciary issues and covenants designed to restrict future competition by a departing employee. Jamie is a teacher and trainer, and advocates sound human resources practices in both union and non-union workplaces. His clients are in industries as diverse as manufacturing, technology, financial services, entertainment and construction. Jamie is an experienced litigator, in the courts, at arbitration, and before administrative tribunals, including federal and provincial labour boards. Jamie is a 1983 graduate of The University of Toronto Law School. He spent 3 undergraduate years at Le College Militaire Royal De St. Jean, Quebec, and for several years Jamie was a commissioned officer in Canada’s Naval Reserve.

Jamie is a member of the Labour Relations, Administrative Law and Workers’ Compensation Sections of the Ontario Bar Association. He is an active participant in HRPAO and has spent the past few years serving on the Complaints and Investigation Committee.

Jamie has authored or co-authored over a dozen publications for use by human resource professionals and lawyers on labour relations, health and safety, human rights, and wrongful dismissal. He has taught supervisors and Human Resources professionals at the University of Guelph for 15 years, as part of the HRPAO certification program. Jamie is a frequent speaker at conferences for lawyers, executives, managers and Human Resources professionals.