Whereas equal representation is the foundation of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (AOHS), which “provides mechanisms for the participation of workers, workers’ associations, employers and employers’ associations in the realization of its object,” specifically, “the elimination, at the source, of dangers to the health, safety and physical well-being of workers” ;
whereas the creation of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) is based on a section of the AOHS;
whereas the composition and modus operandi of the IRSST’s decision-making and advisory bodies are based on the principle of equal representation;
whereas the IRSST’s Scientific Policy stipulates that “projects carried out in workplaces are conducted using a collaborative approach, with the agreement and participation of the employers and workers in the companies involved”;
therefore, the IRSST promotes equal representation of workers’ and employers’ interests and recognizes its importance at the level of institutional and operational values.
Activities at the IRSST are therefore carried out in an equal representation context. This structure demands a work approach based on objectivity and neutrality and respect for the parties concerned.