Canadian Blood Services (Transport Unit) Collective Agreement 2017-2021

Article 25: Health and Safety

1. The Parties to this Collective Agreement shall cooperate to the fullest extent in the matter of occupational health and safety and accident prevention.  The Employer and Employees will take reasonable steps to eliminate, reduce or minimize all workplace safety hazards.
2. Required safety equipment, devices and training will be provided where necessary by the Employer.
3. 1. One (1) Transport Employee, covered by this Collective Agreement, shall be a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee and shall attend each Health and Safety Committee meeting.  In the event that the Committee Member is unable to attend a meeting, they shall assign another qualified Transport Employee to attend in their place and inform their Manager/Supervisor or designate prior to the Joint Health and Safety Committee Meeting.
   2. The Committee shall endeavour to meet once every three (3) months or more frequently if requested, in writing, by a member of this Committee. Agenda items may be submitted prior to such meeting.
   3. The purpose of this Committee is to consider matters involving occupational health and safety, accident prevention, communication, education and security of Employees, exclusively.  
4. Employee representatives shall not suffer any loss of pay for time spent in attendance at meetings of the Joint Health and Safety Committee.
5. The Employer shall not unreasonably deny Committee members access to the workplace to conduct safety inspections.
6. Maintenance of Equipment:  It is to the mutual advantage of both the Employer and the Employees that Employees shall not operate vehicles which are not in a safe operating condition.
7. It shall be the duty of the Employee to report in writing on the appropriate forms to the Employer promptly but not later than the end of their trip or shift all safety and/or mechanical defects on the equipment which they have operated during that shift or trip.
8. Any physical or medical examination necessary for an operator’s license which the Employer requests the Employee to obtain shall be promptly complied with by the Employee.  The present practice of allowing the Employee to obtain physical or medical examination for this purpose from their own attending physician shall continue.  The Employer shall pay for all such physical or medical examinations and for any time lost as a result thereof during working hours.  The Employee shall give the Employer two (2) weeks’ notice prior to such examination.
9. The Employer shall supply the necessary equipment required in obtaining an operator’s license, and the test shall be taken during working hours.