Product Overview

Summary: This Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, practical framework for how your committee is formed, operates and makes decisions on WHS matters. It helps Australian businesses turn their JHSC from a ‘tick-the-box’ requirement into a proactive mechanism for consultation, risk control and continuous safety improvement.

A Joint Health and Safety Committee is a critical consultation mechanism under Australian WHS legislation, but many committees struggle with unclear roles, irregular meetings and poor follow-through on actions. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, repeatable way for your JHSC to operate, ensuring that worker consultation is genuine, documented and effective. It covers everything from establishing the committee and electing worker representatives, to running productive meetings, managing agendas, recording minutes and tracking corrective actions.

By implementing this SOP, you create a transparent system that supports due diligence obligations for officers and demonstrates that your business is actively consulting workers on health and safety matters. The procedure helps you move beyond informal discussions and ad-hoc meetings to a disciplined, evidence-based approach to hazard identification, risk control and continuous improvement. It is suitable for organisations of all sizes and industries, and can be tailored to align with your existing WHS management system, enterprise agreements and consultation arrangements.

Key Benefits

• Ensure compliance with WHS consultation duties under Australian work health and safety legislation.
• Standardise how your Joint Health and Safety Committee is established, operated and reviewed.
• Improve the quality and consistency of WHS decision‑making through structured meetings and clear documentation.
• Demonstrate due diligence by maintaining defensible records of consultation, actions and risk control decisions.
• Strengthen worker engagement and safety culture by providing a clear voice and process for WHS concerns.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Joint Health and Safety Committee Members
• HR Managers
• Operations Managers
• Site and Facility Managers
• Business Owners and Directors
• Risk and Compliance Managers
• Return to Work Coordinators

Hazards Addressed

• Unidentified or unmanaged workplace hazards due to poor consultation
• Ineffective communication of safety issues between workers and management
• Delayed or incomplete implementation of risk controls and corrective actions
• Non-compliance with WHS consultation and representation requirements
• Inadequate documentation and evidence of WHS decision‑making and follow‑up

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
• 2.0 Legislative and Organisational Context
• 3.0 Definitions and Abbreviations
• 4.0 Establishment of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
• 5.0 Composition, Membership and Terms of Office
• 6.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Management, Worker Representatives, Chair, Secretary, HSRs)
• 7.0 Committee Authority, Decision‑Making and Escalation Pathways
• 8.0 Meeting Scheduling, Notice Requirements and Quorum
• 9.0 Agenda Setting, Preparation and Distribution
• 10.0 Conduct of Meetings and Consultation Principles
• 11.0 Recording Minutes, Resolutions and Action Items
• 12.0 Hazard, Incident and Risk Review Processes
• 13.0 Action Tracking, Close‑Out and Reporting to Management
• 14.0 Communication and Feedback to Workers
• 15.0 Training, Induction and Competency of Committee Members
• 16.0 Confidentiality, Privacy and Conflict of Interest
• 17.0 Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement of the JHSC
• 18.0 Document Control, Records Management and Retention
• 19.0 Review, Approval and Version Control of this SOP

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Act – Sections on duty to consult workers and health and safety representatives
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations – Provisions relating to consultation, representation and participation
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination
• AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines