title: The development and testing of a tool to assess joint health and safety committee functioning and effectiveness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concern regarding functioning and effectiveness of joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) in Ontario hospitals was raised following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003. A subsequent literature review revealed a lack of studies focused within the healthcare sector.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tool to measure JHSC effectiveness was developed by a panel of occupational health and safety experts based on a framework from the healthcare sector. Usability testing was conducted in two phases with members of five hospital JHSCs before, during and after a committee meeting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Usability of the tool was scored high overall with an average of > 4 on a 5 point scale across twelve items. Downward adjustment of self-assessment scores was reported following JHSC meetings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings demonstrated that the tool was easy to use, effective in supporting discussion and in assisting participants in reaching consensus on rating a large number of JHSC characteristics. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:368-376, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.|Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2455-8602
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kudla
authors.affiliation: Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease, Toronto, Canada.|School of Occupational and Public Health, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Chun-Yip
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Centre for Research in Inner City Health and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: D Linn
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Holness
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000592:standards*; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000592:standards; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards*; D009864:Ontario; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards*
keywords: effectiveness; employee participation; joint health and safety committee; legislation; occupational health and safety