Minutes of the National Health and Safety Policy Committee (NHSPC)

This meeting was chaired by Mr. Brian Oldford, who replaced Doug Gaetz as acting Employee Co-chair for this meeting. 

OPENING REMARKS

The Employee Co-Chair welcomed attendees to the September 2023 meeting.

Natalie Waples, who replaced Sonia Côté as acting employer Co-chair for this meeting,  welcomed everyone and provided an overview regarding the change to high touchpoint cleaning. In response to the COVID-19 downgrading from pandemic emergency to longer-term sustained response, the Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) would be returning to pre-pandemic cleaning specifications. This change entails reducing cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces from twice per day to once a day. All other cleaning protocols and frequencies remain unchanged. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and this committee will continue to monitor the latest public health recommendations related to new variants.

Since the last meeting, several communications were shared with local health and safety committees (HSC) and health and safety representatives (HSR) on the following topics:

• Launch of a new Well-Being approach
• Air Quality and Ambient Smoke from Wildfires in Canada
• Update on PSPC’s changes to cleaning protocols.

REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS

NHSPC Meeting Minutes – July 4, 2023

The minutes are in the final approval stages with the unions.  

There was a discussion regarding the delay it has taken to prepare and release minutes. It was confirmed that the minutes will be reviewed and released within the timeframe identified in the NHSPC Terms of Reference. 

Action Item Report 

The action item report from the July 4 meeting was reviewed and accepted. 

Forward Agenda

The forward agenda was reviewed and approved by the members. 

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Communication Plan    

It was noted that a number of communication products from the NHSPC Co-chairs were published, including the Day of Mourning and Safety and Health Week messages. There are additional communication products that have been delayed, however they are targeted for release before the next meeting in December 2023.
 

UPDATE FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES BRANCH (HRB) – NATIONAL OHS PROGRAM 

Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP)

Members were provided with an overview of the work done since the last meeting. The NHSPC Harassment and Violence Prevention Working Group will meet in the coming weeks to start the review of the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention and Resolution Procedures, which is required once every three years.

In addition, a pilot of the new CRA WHVP training module was run during the first week of June 2023. The new training module is now in its final translation review after which it  will be launched this fall.  

Psychological Health and Safety

The Psychological Health and Safety Working Group will meet on October 5, to further discuss the program, and review new resources. During the summer, the Working Group reviewed the Well-being Series for Leaders: Workplace factors that affect well-being.  

In addition, the official launch of the new Well-being Approach to all employees will be coming in October 2023 to coincide with Healthy Workplace Month. Part of the new approach includes raising awareness about the 13 psychosocial factors that affect psychological health and safety in the workplace. Health and safety committees (HSC) and Health and safety representatives (HSR) will play an essential part in making this approach work, and were encouraged to become familiar with the materials over the summer to support the discussion locally.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for Field Employees – Criminal Investigations

A discussion was held regarding a concern from a local HSC regarding the need for personal protective equipment when executing search warrants. The Committee recommended that the Job Hazard Analysis for Field Employees Working Group be convened to review and determine if new hazards exist, and if additional or updated measures need to be taken.

UPDATE FROM JOURNEY TO HYBRID (JTH) 

Rollout of On-site Presence (ROOP)

The CRA’s Roll-out of On-site Presence has been completed in all Branches and Regions as of the end of March 2023 with the majority of employees coming onto CRA sites for at least 2 days or 40% of their regular schedule. 

Following the successful implementation of the ROOP across the Agency, the JTH Project Management Office (PMO) has been phased out, and the work of the JTH PMO reintegrated back into the Agency’s normal operations. Throughout the JTH project, the health and safety of Agency employees remained the top priority and the physical and mental well-being of employees a key consideration. The JTH PMO, along with the respective Branches, ensured that short and long-term solutions were developed for BEET and OHS in the hybrid model.

The committee members were thanked for their support and collaboration throughout the project.

UPDATE FROM SECURITY BRANCH (SB)

CRA Notification System (CNS) / Système de notification de l'ARC (SNA)

The CRA has seen an increase in emergency events resulting in building closures, and the current Building Status Line (BSL) application proved limited in the outreach capabilities to communicate with CRA employees.

To address this issue and ensure that employees receive timely notifications, the Security Branch (SB) acquired a mass notification tool, the CNS, to facilitate efficient, consistent, and accessible communications with CRA employees.

The new CNS works by sending notifications to employees of status changes to the building they work in, during or outside of normal working hours. Employees will be automatically registered to the CNS using their CRA email address, and will be able to update their profile to receive notifications for their designated worksite(s) through various forms of communication. This includes text messages, phone calls, emails, or push notifications to any iOS or Android mobile device through the free CNS-SNA mobile application. The CNS is also compatible with Teletypewriter (TTY) devices, and consultations have been conducted with the Persons with Disability Network to ensure it meets their requirements.

Finally, to ensure a smooth implementation, and to avoid overloading the system, a staggered regional rollout approach is planned during the month of October, beginning with the Atlantic Region.

An overview document of the features of the CNS is to be provided to the NHSPC.

WRITTEN UPDATES

Members received the following written updates in advance of the meeting. 

Occupational Health and Safety Program Updates

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVCs) and Directions 

Members were informed that since the last meeting on July 4. 2023, the National OHS program had received no AVCs or Directions from ESDC.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for Field Employees Working Group

The committee was informed that the National OHS Program had reached out to the JHA Working Group members in July 2023 to advise them that the updates to the Health and Safety Awareness for Field Employees training was completed and the course was now available.

OHS Training

TD1599-001 Health and Safety for Employees

NHSPC employee representatives are being engaged to provide feedback on the revised training material. The two identified representatives Paul Tsuji, Toronto Region Representative, Audit, Financial and Scientific Group and Jennifer MacPherson, President’s Representative, Union of Taxation Employees, were provided draft materials September 5, 2023 and are currently collaborating with the National OHS Program to update the content

TD1599-003 Health and Safety for Managers

The redevelopment process has been mapped out with the LLD. Updates will continue to be provided and the NHSPC will be engaged for consultation as it progresses. The National OHS Program is currently working to finalize the draft updates and prepare to conduct a pilot test of the materials later this fall.

It was noted that manager completion of training is still a concern. A review will be done to see if it is possible to identify how long a manager has been in the role (including acting roles) and whether they have completed their mandatory health and safety training, and whether targeted attention for those groups is needed.

TD1599-005 Field Employee Training

The course was published on the Directory of Learning Products on July 21, 2023.

Q1 2023–2024 National OHS Dashboard 

In conjunction to the written update, the committee was provided with the Q1 2023-2024 National OHS dashboard representing program measurements on:

• Mandatory OHS training completion rates
• HSC/HSR effectiveness rates
• Workplace harassment and violence prevention
• First aid & AED program
• Ergonomics program
• Occupational injuries & illnesses
• Hazards and safety complaints

A question was raised regarding whether there is a correlation between an increase in ergonomic adjustments and assessments and the return to on-site presence, or if the increase could be a result of increased awareness and engagement. A review will be conducted and an update provided at the next meeting.

Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention

Members reviewed data presented in the National OHS Dashboard information. The data includes all incidents of workplace harassment and violence reported under the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. As reporting has moved to quarterly, the data presented at each meeting will include the data up to the previous complete quarter, and from the previous calendar year. 

Workplace Health and Safety Operations Update

A high level update was provided on the ongoing work of the OHS Prevention and Compliance Centre and the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Centre. They continue to provide support to local committees, first aid coordinators, and ergonomic coaches.

Finance and Administration Branch (FAB) Updates

Airborne Asbestos Fibre Testing

Members were provided with a written update in respect to CRA sites known to contain asbestos containing materials (ACM) and the national airborne asbestos fibre testing  initiative. Previously, CRA occupied 47 ACM containing sites which has now decrease to 46 sites. The Western Region has released one site, 1230 Government Ave. Victoria, BC (space unoccupied and was released July 31, 2023).

CRA is currently in the process of undertaking the airborne asbestos fibre testing for 2023-2024 at twelve sites known to contain ACM, three sites in the Atlantic Region and nine sites in the Québec Region. The testing will start in September/October 2023 and results of this year’s findings will be posted on InfoZone in late Q3 or Q4 of FY2023-2024.

FAB continues to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), building owners, contractors, Lead Senior Manager for Emergencies and Evacuations (LSMEE), and local HSCs to ensure that employees are engaged and made aware with respect to issues related to asbestos in their workplace.

Provision of menstrual products in the workplace 

Members were given an update on access to menstrual products in CRA sites which are federally regulated workplaces. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is working on developing a strategy for the implementation of this initiative and is currently considering various factors such as initial fit-up costs, ongoing maintenance, disposal, and volume of product required. Given that PSPC is CRA’s provider of accommodations and accommodation services, the CRA is dependant on PSPC for direction and guidance related to this initiative within CRA occupied space. Once PSPC has developed and approved its implementation strategy, it will be communicated to client departments and agencies, including CRA. It is anticipated that PSPC will be communicating shortly with client organizations given the December 15, 2023 implementation timeline. A question was raised if the HSC will be required to monitor this. It was confirmed that this is not part of the HSC inspection requirements, but part of the base building cleaning staff role.

Bedbugs

FAB is developing a guidance document for how to handle situations when bedbugs are found in the workplace. This document will include how and when to communicate with employees and what will be done to deal with the bugs.

Security Branch (SB) Update

Quarterly Incident Report  

Members were provided with a written update on security incidents that have transpired over the last quarter. There was a discussion regarding the duration of threat indicators on accounts, and if long-term or repeat offenses could be tracked or flagged. While much of the reporting cannot be released, Security confirmed that reports are being improved to help address some of the concerns flagged by this committee. Security will determine if they can report on the total number of threat indicators and incoming suicide calls per year.

The question was asked whether workplace sites are assessed for threats prior to signing tenant leases. Security noted that Security Self Assessment questionnaires are completed annually by regions and focus on the physical security requirements for each site. Security is developing a Vulnerability Assessment Request Form to be used when the security posture has changed, when there are events of concern, or in response to increased crime observed in the vicinity of a building. 

CLOSING REMARKS

Ms. Waples thanked everyone for their work and their participation in the meeting.

Mr. Oldford closed the meeting by thanking members for their work. The next NHSPC meeting is scheduled for December 12, 2023.

The meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m. EST.

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Natalie Waples for Sonia Côté Employer Co-Chair National Health and Safety Policy Committee Date:  2023-12-04	Brian Oldford for Doug Gaetz Employee Co-Chair National Health and Safety Policy Committee Date: 2023-12-09