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Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Under the provisions of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), workers and employers must share the responsibility for occupational health and safety. The Act sets up an internal responsibility system that involves everyone, from individual employees to the institution’s upper management.

The Act provides for the establishment of a joint health and safety committee, composed of people who represent the employees and the employer. Together, they are committed to improving health and safety conditions in the workplace.

The committee is an advisory body that helps recognize workplace risks and then recommends solutions, and helps stimulate awareness of occupational health and safety issues.

The University Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (UJOHSC) is an advisory body responsible for:

  • Policy recommendations,
  • Occupational health and safety management system,
  • Institutional-level programs and procedures,
  • Activities concerning several SOHSCs,
  • Coordination of information received from the SOHSCs, and
  • Provide assistance as requested by sector and ad hoc committees.

The APUO has two (2) seats on the UJOHSC.

The University Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee is supported by seven (7) sectoral occupational health and safety committees (SOHSC). 

These seven (7) sub-committees represent different sectors of the university. Please click here to see a table outlining all seven (7) sectoral committees, their respective mandates, and the campus areas for which these committees are responsible. 

For more information about the UJOHSC and the sectoral committees, please see their Terms of Reference. For more information on the full membership of these committees, consult uOttawa’s website.

Committee Members:

University Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Steven Bittle (Department of Criminology)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

Christine Guptill (School of Rehabilitation Sciences)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

Sector 1 – Downtown Campus North

Jennifer Dekker (Library)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

Two (2) vacant seats

Sector 2 – Downtown Campus South

Kevin Kubarych (Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

Matt Pamenter (Department of Biology)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

Sector 3 – Facilities and Protection

One (1) vacant seat

Sector 4 – Alta Vista Campus

Two (2) vacant seats

Sector 5 – Rideau River Campus (Lees Avenue)

Christine Guptill (School of Rehabilitation Sciences)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

One (1) vacant seat

Sector 6 – Off-campus

One (1) vacant seat

Sector 7 – Psychological health and safety

Jason Foster (School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation)
End of mandate: June 30, 2027

One (1) vacant seat