OHS Resource Centre

It’s a B.C. first! The OHS Resource Centre, a digital meeting management platform to support Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees (JOHSC), is active and operational at Providence Health Care (PHC). And in April 2025, a second organization, Vancouver Coastal Health, will begin planning to use the platform. Conceived and designed by health unions and health employers more than a decade ago, the OHS Resource Centre has been developed with direction and advice from health unions and employers throughout its development to ensure it supports the good work of JOHSCs in the health system.

After years of scoping and building, in collaboration with OHS Solutions, the OHS Resource Centre was soft launched at Providence Health Care (PHC). The launch was a partnership among PHC, BC Nurses’ Union, Hospital Employees’ Union, Health Sciences Association, and BC General Employees’ Union.

This initiative is funded by the Nurses’ Bargaining Association, the Facilities Bargaining Association, and the Ministry of Health.

Benefits of the OHS Resource Centre

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Ensures employers are meeting their legislative requirements related to JOHSCs

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Relieves some administrative burdens for JOHSCs

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Creates efficiencies for committee meeting management

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Delivers provincewide metrics related to committee meetings, workplace risks, and incidents

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Provides easy access to JOHSC meeting minutes for all staff

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Implementation

An implementation committee helped SWITCH BC co-create product rollout, change management, and communications plans. The soft launch was initiated in two phases. In phase one, four committees were trained and using the platform for regular committee business, and in phase two all PHC committees began using the OHS Resource Centre. Throughout the soft launch, committee members provided valuable feedback and suggested enhancements to the platform. That input is already reflected on the platform and in imminent enhancements so that the OHS Resource Centre is technology that supports committee needs now and into the future with continuous improvement cycles.

LEARNING MATERIALS

A robust variety of training materials were developed to support JOHSC members, including user manuals, a searchable step-by-step guide, video tutorials, and a phone line. All learning materials are available on the SWITCH BC website. Watch the "How to contribute to the meeting agenda" video below:

Product Build

For the initial PHC launch, the OHS Resource Centre features included user management, meeting management, committee management, file management, and email notifications. When the launch expanded to all PHC committees in February 2025, the build itself had progressed to include an Internal Metrics feature. That feature tracks committee activity, including attendance, quorum, and action items. External Metrics, which will include investigations and incidents and are the foundation for provincewide data to drive system-wide improvements, will be available in 2025/26. SWITCH BC also established its own JOHSC when we had 20+ employees (a requirement under WorkSafeBC regulations) and our team is successfully using the affiliate access to the platform.

The OHS Resource Centre is intended to be used by all JOHSCs, and once all health authorities are using the platform, we will begin working with affiliates to support their workplace health and safety committees, too.

COLLABORATION COUNTER

All SWITCH BC initiatives are collaborations. Hundreds of hours have been invested by our partners to ensure the OHS Resource Centre is successfully supporting JOHSCs in healthcare.

1650

People who have collaborated on build, program, and implementation

365

Opportunities to collaborate

280

Committee members and OHS leaders using the program*

*as of March 31, 2025

OHS Resource Centre 2.0

The platform is the first component of the larger vision that health unions and employers have for the OHS Resource Centre. Future components include occupational health and safety resources, training, greater supports for regional committees, and increased data capabilities. In 2025/26, SWITCH BC’s Year of Action, more health authorities will implement the OHS Resource Centre and we will begin creating more JOHSC infrastructure resources.

Abbreviation Station

OHS

Occupational Health and Safety

JOHSC

Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee

PHC

Providence Health Care

VCH

Vancouver Coastal Health

BCNU

BC Nurses’ Union

HEU

Hospital Employees’ Union

HSA

Health Sciences Association

BCGEU

BC General Employees’ Union

PHSA

Provincial Health Services Authority

Program Progress Milestones

WHAT’S NEXT

In spring 2025, Vancouver Coastal Health will implement the OHS Resource Centre in three waves, starting with 26 committees using it followed by another wave of 34 committees, and finally the last 20 committees will go live in early summer. Starting in waves allows both employer and union OHS practitioners a higher degree of confidence in the new technology and increases ease-of-use for committee members.

We recognize the dedication of all B.C. health authorities and bargaining associations in supporting the OHS Resource Centre rollout in 2025 and 2026. Special thanks to PHC, VCH, and the Bargaining associations for their early engagement and leadership. Following implementation at VCH, the OHS Resource Centre will launch at Interior Health and Island Health, and subsequently at First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health, Provincial Health Services Authority, and SafeCare BC affiliates.