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

This meeting was chaired by Doug Gaetz Employee Co-Chair.

1. OPENING REMARKS

The Employee Co-Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. He began by having Jennifer MacPherson conduct the roll call. The Employee Co-Chair gave opening remarks and gave a recap of the various corporate policy instruments that have been updated such as the Health and Safety Committees and Representatives Standard Operating Procedure and Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention and Resolution Procedures.

A number of communications were also published in the last quarter. Several highlights included the launch of a new “Psych Safety Spotlight” newsletter, Agency News Items on the importance of knowing the locations of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in the workplace, and for Global Ergonomics Month, a “Don’t settle for discomfort” message designed to point employees to existing ergonomic tools and resources. There were several “Career Showcases” from the National Well-being and OHS team. One from the well-being team, spoke to resilience in the face of difficult circumstances. The second to be published this month, is from a Winnipeg based OHS Officer who is enthusiastic about spreading the news about health workplaces especially on the topic of ergonomics and injury prevention.

2. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF DOCUMENTS

2.1 NHSPC Meeting Minutes – June 26, 2025

The minutes have been published however they contain a spelling error on page 7, which will be corrected.

2.2 Action Item Report

The action item report from the June 26, 2025, NHPSC meeting was reviewed and updated. The responses are recorded under the appropriate agenda item.

2.3 Forward Agenda

There were no comments on the forward agenda.

2.4 OHS Communication Plan

The OHS Communication Plan was reviewed with several questions surrounding the timing and status of planned communications. The plan will be updated for the next NHSPC meeting.

3. VERBAL UPDATES

3.1 Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP)

Although the review is done for this cycle, the NHSPC workplace harassment and violence prevention working group will continue to meet regularly to review risks and/or preventive measures identified through the WHVP resolution process, as needed. In addition to updating the Procedures, the working group also updated the Workplace Assessment Review Tool to include the risks and preventative measures listed in the updated Procedures. A guide was created to ensure consistent application of the assessment tool.

An Agency News Item message called New Discrimination, Harassment and Violence InfoZone Page was published on InfoZone on July 11, 2025 to bring attention to a new page called “You have experienced conflict, discrimination, or harassment and violence at work” which is designed to be a one stop shop resource for employees to understand their options and find the support they need.

As outlined under the written updates on mandatory OHS training, there was a drastic decrease in the completion rate for the mandatory WHVP training from 96% (January to March 2025) to 65% (April to June 2025). A three-pronged strategy was implemented to address this concerning drop. The employer co-chair commented that these numbers are closely followed at the Agency Management Committee (AMC) meetings and that she will be bringing this forward to senior management at the next AMC meeting as a concern to be addressed.

3.2 Well-Being and Psychological Health and Safety

New tools are in development and awareness sessions are ongoing. Presentations for middle managers on Well-being and Psychological Health and Safety, including information on how to lead their teams in times of change, are starting at the end of October 2025 and will continue to March 2026.

Building upon the recently updated “13 workplace factors” breakout pages on InfoZone, a new InfoZone page called “Well-being in times of change” has been launched. It focuses on the actions that can be taken by employees and by supervisors during times of change and uncertainty.

In addition, a new monthly newsletter called the “Psych Safety Spotlight” has been launched. It will be distributed through the Well-being Champions Community (WBCC) and will highlight one factor each month to encourage employees and supervisors to learn about this subject. The first edition of the newsletter was circulated to the WBCC in September 2025.

Following feedback received during the pilot project, a set of draft resources supporting team psychological health and safety discussions is in final development. The focus of these resources is on helping team leaders to engage with their teams in continual improvement discussions. The resources focus on the continual improvement cycle: Plan (Learn); Do (Discuss); Check (Reflect); Act (Act). A staggered approach is being used to allow supervisors and their teams the time to more easily digest, adopt, and take action related to the content.

The Psychological Health and Safety Working Group met on September 23, 2025, to discuss the pilot of psychological hazard assessment tool updates. The ongoing work looks at adding psychological hazards to the Incident Reporting and Disabilities Management System (IRDMS) hazardous occurrence reporting application. In addition, specialized tools are being developed for contact centre environments to provide easily accessible information when needed. The employee representative who co-chairs the Call Centre Committee alongside Assessment, Benefit, and Service Branch (ABSB) Contact Centre Services Directorate (CCSD), praised this initiative and asked to be updated offline.

Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) Response Time

A concern was raised after the launch of the Public Service Employee Survey in November 2024, that the employees working in contact centres were not given thirty minutes to complete the survey as other CRA employees. The employee representatives requested specific information on how this was provided when it was first confirmed that these employees did have thirty minutes. A follow-up with CCSD in ABSB to inquire specifically on how this was communicated provided this response. CCSD Managers were advised to have their team leaders communicate the following: “Employees are asked to repurpose the existing 15 minutes productive activities time allotment (coded 040 or 041) and add an additional 15 minutes in order to have 30 minutes total to complete the PSES.” This allowed contact centre employees the thirty minute time-period needed for the survey. This action item is now closed.

3.3 Ergonomics

The committee was briefed on the Ergonomics Program review. The National OHS Program has been analyzing data and information on all aspects of the current ergonomics program, to determine the success or gaps in the program strategy. A working group will be developed to be a consultation forum for the review. The employee co-chair asked that a formal call-letter be sent out to ask for two to three employee representative volunteers.

3.4 Incident Reporting and Disabilities Management System (IRDMS) Presentation

A brief overview of the Incident Reporting and Disabilities Management System (IRDMS) was shared. The employee co-chair asked what the role of the OHS officers was regarding reported hazards or injuries. It was explained that the OHS Officers were to monitor reported hazards and injuries and to offer advice and guidance to the health and safety committees when needed.

It was explained that information for the OHS dashboards was generated from this system. The employee representatives asked to be provided with the regional dashboards.

3.5 Discussion

Environmental Sensitivities

Conversation continued regarding the effectiveness of the tools available to address environmental sensitivities in the workplace and whether a new policy was required to ensure compliance. The employer representative reiterated that there are tools available to managers to address issues when employees are asked to stop wearing heavy scents in the workplace and they refuse to comply, up to and including discipline for insubordination.

The Employee Co-chair emphasized they were not in agreement with this approach and will continue to advocate for a policy to be implemented. At this time, management will not be implementing a new policy, but will be reviewing and updating messaging for employees, and for managers. This topic will added to the OHS Communication Plan and be closed as an action item.

4. HRB-OHS WRITTEN UPDATES

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

4.1 National OHS Dashboard

In conjunction to the written update, the committee was provided with the Q1 2024-2025 National OHS dashboard.

Hazards

There were 150 hazards reported in Q1 2024-2025. The three most common hazards identified were:

• Slips, trips, and falls: There were thirty-three reports. Most reports were due to wet floors inside the workplace and tripping hazards in adjoining parking lots with holes or uneven surfaces.
• Air quality hazards: Of the twenty-eight reports, the majority were related to exposure to scents from colleagues, or to externally generated fumes being introduced into office space by the buildings heating and ventilation system.
• Fire hazards: There were no actual fires reported. Thirteen hazard reports were made with most of them for concerns over overheating cell phone batteries.

OHS Monthly Workplace Inspections

The completion of monthly workplace inspections was discussed as the compliance rate continues to be lower than expected. The question was raised as to who specifically (designated role) was responsible to ensure that mandatory monthly inspections of the workplace were being conducted by the health and safety committee or health and safety representative. As defined under section 5.3 of the Health and Safety Committee and Health and Safety Representative Standard Operating Procedure, this responsibility rests with the Most Senior Management Representative for the workplace. This action item is now closed.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – Labour Program -Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) and Directions There were no new AVCs or Directions issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – Labour Program in Q1 2024-2025.

4.2 Multiple Environment Job Hazard Analysis (MEJHA) Working Group

The MEJHA working group continues to work with the Agency Logistics and Administrative Services Division (ALASD), Mail and General Services Section, to review the workflow evaluation completed for the Shawinigan National Verification and Collections Centre (NVCC) mailroom. They will determine if there are national implications for consideration to improve ergonomic risk factors with these work tasks. The external workflow assessment of the mailroom was shared with the employee representatives as requested at the June meeting. This action item is closed.

4.3 Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for Field Employees Working Group

The task hazard analysis for the execution of warrants in a criminal investigation continues and is ongoing. A Scope of Work is being established to ensure all the essential elements are captured by the review in a thorough manner.

Field employee reporting of security incidents

The employee representatives asked if the current TD1599-005 Health and Safety Awareness for Field Employees training, covered how to report security incidents. The following information was shared to the employee representatives in advance of the meeting.

There are several sections reminding field employees that their personal safety is paramount and they should leave any situation that they feel to be threatening. Specifically, under “Non-ideal environments and possible situations,” the section on “Weapons, firearms and illegal activity,” directs employees to report incidents where they are threatened or in danger, to their manager who will report it as a security incident. This is also covered in several of the Field Employee Safe Work Procedures (SWP), such as the “Illegal Activities SWP.” Field employees are not directed to submit a security incident soley because firearms are present. There must be threatening behaviour, or the perception that there could be a threat, to report it as a security incident. The Security Branch provides additional guidance and training on when to submit a security incident report. This action item is now closed.

4.4 Health and Safety Committee (HSC) / Health and Safety Representative Program (HSR)

HSRs in locations under the control of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

The requirement to have Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) HSRs in locations under the control of CBSA was reviewed in the recent cyclical review of the Health and Safety Committee and Health and Safety Representative Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). A review of the memorandum of understanding between CBSA and the CRA, alongside consultations with the CBSA OHS program, regular consultation with interested parties, and conversations with ESDC-Labour Program, determined that the requirements for regular workplace inspections and identification of hazards at CBSA workplaces, was covered by the workplace health and safety structure established by CBSA as the primary occupant of the workspace.

The action to establish a secondary CRA HSR at a CBSA workplace is not required nor beneficial. CBSA is required to ensure that CRA employees working at CBSA locations, are made aware of any known or foreseeable hazard in the same manner as CBSA employees. As such, HSRs are no longer required to be appointed by the CRA for these CBSA controlled spaces. CRA employees that report to these locations have been reminded on how to report hazards in their workspaces to their direct supervisors, as well as to the HSCs responsible for those sites.

As a result, the number of HSRs in CRA controlled locations has been reduced from 42 to 4. The four remaining sites are:

• 105 McGill Street, Montreal
• 5101 Franklin Avenue, Yellowknife
• 300 Main Street, Whitehorse
• 933 Mivvik Street, Iqaluit The employee representatives expressed concern with this action and asked how this decision was made, and for a review of the consultation process that occurred as part of the update. This information including the feedback they provided at the time of the review, will be shared with the employee representatives. They also requested a copy of the MOU between CRA and CBSA.

Health and safety committee and representatives - Classroom Training (virtual presentation)

A question was raised at the last NHSPC meeting as to what barriers were impacting the scheduling of the second part of the mandatory HSC/HSR training as there continued to be many untrained members. On review, there is no reason other than the complexity of scheduling management and employee trainer volunteers to deliver it over two full days, or four half-day sessions. OHS Officers continue to work with qualified management and employee trainers to schedule new sessions and the number of members needing training, is dropping.

In the first fiscal quarter, three health and safety committee training sessions were held. OHS Officers continue to work with the trainers to schedule additional sessions. At the end of June there were 686 health and safety committee members.

• 439 are fully trained.
• 228 have completed the online training only.
• 20 have completed no training.

This action item is closed.

4.5 OHS Training Courses Status

TD1599-001 Health and Safety For Employees The updated training is still in accessibility review.

4.6 Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention

Data was shared with the committee on the year-to-year comparison of the resolution mechanisms used to complete the resolution process for the total notices of occurrences closed since the implementation of the new regulations in January 2021.

The average time to complete the resolution process for an occurrence, expressed in months is:

• January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 – 10 months
• January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 – 8 months
• January 1, 2025 to June 20, 2025 – 8 months

4.7 Hazard Prevention Program (HPP)

The updated HPP report was shared with the NHSPC members. The employer co-chair asked for clarification in the report under section 2.1 Implementation Plan, on the sentence “In consultation with the NHSPC, the National OHS Program has established its workplan that specifies timeframes for each phase of the development, implementation, monitoring, and reviews of the prevention program and all its parts. The timeframes are adjusted as needed to address new hazards as they are identified, as well as to account for any necessary changes.”

The workplan referenced in the HPP is the internal planning document of the National OHS Program team that captures ongoing Well-being and OHS program development and/or review, communications, working group consultation, and NHSPC secretariat and committee support. For the upcoming 12-18 months, the work plan includes the following key activities:

• reviewing and clarifying the task hazard analysis process
• reviewing the office ergonomics prevention program
• developing and implementing a hearing conservation program
• continuing the development of the psychological health and safety program, including investigation and hazard identification processes.

A question was raised by the employee representatives on the oversight on first aid kits and roadside assistance kits that are provided to field employees when driving to remote locations and how these items were provided. A response was provided in the meeting that the method of delivery and tracking contents is managed locally and typically would follow the same inspection and replenishment schedule as the workplace first aid kits as outlined in the First Aid/AED SOP. The requirements of the kits are covered in the Field Employees Standard Operating Procedures and associated Safe Work Procedures and risk assessments.

4.8 Workplace Health and Safety Operations (WHSO)

The Committee was provided with an update on the operations and outreach of the Occupational Health and Safety Prevention and Compliance Center (OHS PCC) and the Harassment and Violence Prevention Centre (HVPC).

The OHS Officers continued to meet with their local partners: ergonomic coaches, first aid coordinators, and health and safety committee members to discuss regional challenges. They continue to support managers through the HR Service Centre.

National Health and Safety Week

National Health and Safety Week took place from May 5, 2025, to May 10, 2025. Several new initiatives were taken to bring attention to the CRA OHS program. There were daily communications with OHS program partners, online games to test OHS knowledge, and the introduction of “Safety Talks” for managers to engage their teams in quick, informal safety meetings. The topics focused on identifying hazards in the workplace and levels of risk as well as pertinent existing Safe Work Procedures. Managers were challenged to pick at least four prepared safety talks to discuss with their team.

WHSO worked with local HSCs and ergonomic coaches to set up “mock-up” workstations in various locations to bring attention to the ergonomic program. They demonstrated the self-adjustment tools on items such as adjustable desks and chairs and provided education on how to prevent ergonomic injuries.

HSC and Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Effectiveness

OHS Officers conducted a mid-year review of some of the key duties that HSCs are responsible for throughout the year. The OHS Officers completed high-level reports and delivered them to the Most Senior Management Responsible for each HSC with 100% compliance. The findings show that sixty-eight out of seventy-five locations with HSCs were 100% in conformance, to date. The OHS officers are working with the HSCs who did not achieve 100% conformance to help them to develop actions plans.

Ergonomics Program

The OHS Officers continue to support management in fulfilling their obligations when dealing with ergonomics hazards by promoting and educating them on the ergonomics prevention process. They continue to collaborate with Labour Relations, EIRTW and FAB to address complex ergonomic issues.

Monitoring

Between April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, thirteen workplaces were monitored.

Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Program The next sessions are scheduled for November 2025.

4.9 OHS Program Monitoring

A detailed report on the OHS Program Monitoring Cycle Three, was shared with the Committee. The report focused on the implementation of the OHS Corporate Policy Instruments in 33 CRA workplaces visited between June 2024 and March 2025.

The locations visited in this period were:

The following table is a breakdown of non-conformities observed by region with the number of buildings visited per region.

The following table summarizes the top elements identified (in more than five locations) requiring attention to conform to CRA OHS CPIs. (One workplace could receive multiple observations of non-conformity so the totals shown do not reflect the number of buildings that did not comply.)

In addition to CPI-related non-conformities, OHS officers observed fifty-four elements that while not defined in CRA’s OHS Policy Instruments, have previously been pointed out as non-compliance through Assurances of Voluntary Compliance from ESDC-Labour Program, or are otherwise required under OHS legislation. The three most frequently observed items were:

The OHS officers also noted several observed best practices, such as:

• The “We share the air” initiative approach to scent/environmental sensitivity (10180 101 Street, Edmonton AB)
• First aid responders being provided with identifying lanyards (9755 King George Boulevard, Surrey BC)
• Designated offices/cubicles being set aside for first aid responders (50 Queen Street and 166 Frederick Street, Kitchener, ON)
• Specific office areas set aside to offer less sensory overload with dimmer, warmer lighting for employees requiring this. (5001 Yonge Street, Toronto ON)

The Employee Co-Chair commented that he appreciated the effort going into the OHS Program Monitoring and the preparation of the NHSPC report, specifically referencing the OHS Officers. He asked to have someone with knowledge of the program and how it was conducted, be invited to speak at the next meeting to better explain the monitoring process and how the results were derived.

5. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION BRANCH (FAB) WRITTEN UPDATES

5.1 Airborne Asbestos Fibre Testing (AAFT)

As an action item from the February 2025 meeting, a request was made to discuss and consider extending the AAFT cycle to five years. In September 2025, after discussions with the National Unions and the National OHS Program, a consensus was reached that AAFT will be conducted at all CRA sites known to contain an ACM on a rotational basis, with the frequency adjusted from once every three years to once every five years. Sites with confirmed detection of airborne asbestos fibers above safety thresholds, identified through CRA’s 5-year airborne asbestos fiber testing cycle, will be managed and mitigated by PSPC, with continued testing conducted until results for airborne asbestos fibers are below regulatory thresholds. Once results are below thresholds, CRA will conduct follow-up testing at the site one year later. If the results of this follow-up testing are also below regulatory thresholds, the site will then be included in the region’s upcoming 5-year testing cycle. The new testing schedule has been established for the Agency’s worksites and shared with the National Unions in August 2025.

This action item is closed.

6. SECURITY BRANCH (SB) WRITTEN UPDATE

6.1 Report on Threats and Assaults Against CRA Employees Q4 2024-2025

The Committee reviewed the written report for the quarter as presented by the Security Branch (SB).

The employee representatives inquired about SB’s procedures for addressing repeated threats made by the same individual. An update will be provided by the next meeting.

6.2 Discussion

The SB representative provided follow-up discussion on several items brought to the NHSPC.

Package of Concern Procedures

There were several security incidents reported over the last year showing that internal procedures on how to process packages of concern were not followed. The employee representatives asked for information on how mailroom employees were trained on the procedures. SB provided an update on how mailroom employees are trained on proper procedures as follows:

• Each February, the Headquarters Mailroom Operations team within the Finance and Administration Branch issues a procedural reminder to all regional mailroom operations in preparation for the upcoming tax season.
• Guides and informational materials are available to all employees to support the identification and handling of packages of concern.
• The Security Branch provides the Guide to Emergency Situations to support training for all CRA employees in responding to emergencies. This guide includes a section specifically addressing packages of concern.
• Mailroom employees are expected to follow all procedures established by regional security offices and management teams.

SB continues to monitor these incidents closely and make adjustments to these procedures should circumstances change.

This action item is closed.

Fire and Emergency Exercises Annual Update

SB provided an update on the two workplaces in Ottawa who failed to meet their obligations under the Directive on Building Emergency and Evacuation Teams(external link) to conduct emergency exercises and drills in 2024. SB has worked with the Lead Senior Manager for Emergencies and Evacuations (LSMEE) of the two workplaces to ensure they have planned and scheduled the mandatory exercises and drills for the current year. They will continue to monitor that these exercises are conducted and recorded. This item is now closed.

Abstract of the Harmonized Threat and Risk Assessment report

The employee representatives asked for clarification on sharing the Abstract of the Harmonized Threat and Risk Assessment report presented at the June NHSPC meeting. SB clarified that this report could be shared with regional employee representatives in the format it was presented in, and did not require further redaction. SB cautioned against sharing of the report outside of those requiring it, as it could be potentially detrimental to employee safety and security to have the report contents widely known. Furthermore, SB offered an in-camera meeting to provide the local union leadership with an opportunity to review the unredacted report.

SB Representative provided an overview on the difference between security and safety reporting. They noted that security typically speaks to controls put in place to prevent intentional threats to assets, information, or people. OHS is meant to be preventative in nature. There can be an intersection between the two, but the reporting requirements and outcomes would be different.

These action items are now closed.

7. CLOSING REMARKS

The Employer Co-chair thanked everyone for their work and their participation in the meeting.

The Employee Co-chair thanked everyone for attending and mentioned that there is still a lot of work to do. The next meeting will be December 16, 2025.

Sonia Côté  Employer Co-Chair National Health and Safety Policy Committee Image	Doug Gaetz  Employee Co-Chair National Health and Safety Policy Committee Image
Date: 2026-04-09	Date: 2026-03-17