OPERATING GUIDELINES

 A. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE:

The Committee represents a fair and balanced group from the private and public sector, and the committee membership is represented by knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated people.  The rules and procedures the committee operates from are patterned after those that govern the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health.

Currently there are 24 member organizations:

1.     Professional Safety Organization
2.     Managed Care Insurance
3.     Workers’ Compensation Insurance
4.     Coordinated Care Provider
5.     Occupational Medicine Professional
6.     County Government (large)
7.     County Government (small)
8.     State Government
9.     Public Employees’ Union
10.   Construction Employers’ Association (small)
11.   Construction Employers’ Association (large)
12.   Employer/Organization (Grocery/Retail)
13.   Employer/Organization (Transportation)
14.   Employer/Organization (Hotels)
15.   Employer/Organization (small)
16.   Employer/Organization (Restaurant)
17.   Employer/Organization (Wholesale or Hardware)
18.   Employee Union (Hotel/restaurant)
19.   Employee Union (Neighbor island hotel, agriculture)
20.   Employee Union (Transportation/trucking)
21.   Employee Union (Health care)
22.   Employee Union (Construction large)
23.   Employee Union (Construction small)
24.   Professional Health Organization

o        A current listing of member organizations and their designated representatives is posted on the HIOSH web site at 
 http://www.hawaii.gov/labor/hiosh/pdf/HAC_roster_20070305.pdf

B. MAJOR AND MINOR PROCEDURAL DECISIONS:

Throughout its deliberations, the Committee will need to make major and minor procedural decisions. The Committee will operate by consensus. Major procedural issues include such issues as the creation of Sub-Committees or other subunits of the Committee, the frequency of Committee meetings, changes in Committee leadership or membership, changes in the Committee's Directives or Operating Guidelines, etcetera. If the Committee is unable to achieve consensus on a major procedural issue, then a two-third majority vote will determine whether the Committee will follow a proposed course of action, so long as there exists a quorum of Committee members that consists of at least 8 members of the Committee.

In the case of minor procedural issues, such as precise meeting dates and locations, the appropriate date for completing an advance mailing to the Committee, etcetera, the Committee will also strive to achieve consensus where possible or appropriate. If consensus on such issues is not possible or appropriate, the Chair will decide what course of action to follow.

The Chair will also decide whether procedural issues can be considered major or minor. For major issues, the Chairperson will ensure that the decision making process outlined above is followed. For minor issues, the Chairperson will be expected to act on behalf of the interests of the full Committee in making a decision. Members of the Committee are responsible for communicating to the Chair any concerns they may have about these decisions. If a dispute arises as to whether a particular procedural issue should be considered major or minor, this dispute will itself be considered a "major procedural issue" and will be resolved in accordance with the process outlined above for such issues.

C. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Chair and Vice Chair

The Chair will be responsible for protecting the interest of all Committee members and will act in a fair and balanced manner with respect to the Committee's operation, the conduct of Committee meetings, and all other activities associated with the Chair's involvement with the Committee.

The Chair, with the assistance of the Director will strive to determine the views of all Committee members regarding Committee advice on major issues and the determination of what course of action to follow on major procedural matters. The Chair will work to achieve a consensus among all Committee members on such issues and matters, to the greatest extent possible, but to also understand when consensus is not possible and some other course of action is necessary.

The Chair will have the authority to represent and convey the views of the Committee in public settings, such as before the State Legislatures. With the assistance of the division, the Chair will be responsible for ensuring the development of meeting agendas that reflect the issues of concern to Committee members, and the production of meeting summaries that accurately reflect the content of Committee deliberations.

The Vice Chair shall be elected by the committee, every other year and rise to the position of Chair.  The term of office of the Chair & Vice-Chair will be for two years, retiring on alternating years to preserve continuity.  Should a Committee member believe that the Chair is not performing in a fair and balanced manner, it is the responsibility of the member to raise their concerns to the Chair, to the full Committee, and the Director in that order.

2. Committee Members and Alternates

Committee members are responsible for representing the interests and concerns of the organizations, institutions, or constituencies that have appointed them. Therefore, Committee members will be expected to consult with these entities and constituencies on a regular basis concerning the discussions and recommendations of the Committee.

Committee members shall represent their organizations for at least a 2 year period.

Attendance requirement: 2 out of 4 meetings per year are a minimum requirement for continued participation. Three (3) unexplained/unexcused absences per year shall be cause for a letter being sent to the member organization indicating the lack of participation of its assigned member.  The organization will be given the opportunity to select an alternate representative, or if they so desire, elect not to be represented on the Committee.  The Committee may then elect to identify an alternate organization to be represented on the Committee.  Notification to member organization of a committee member’s excessive absenteeism will be executed by the chair. To keep membership current, members may send an alternate by submitting a written proxy to the chair.  See section C. below for further details.

Each member may designate an alternate who may attend Committee meetings or meetings of subunits of the Committee in the event the member cannot attend. When necessary and appropriate, additional alternates may be designated to form a team of individuals who can represent the interests and concerns of the appointing organizations, institutions, or constituencies in the various activities of the Committee – but only offer one vote for each position on the committee. When a vacancy occurs in a Committee member seat, the vacancy will be filled by the organization submitting in writing to the committee the name of the person whom they would like to represent them, then by a motion being made and seconded at a regular meeting to accept the new candidate, and the motion being passed by the majority of a quorum.

Committee members or their alternates will be expected to participate actively in meetings, to read and be prepared to comment on documents, and be available for work between formal meetings (e.g., meeting of sub-committee’s, conference calls, etc.). In addition, Committee members will seek to offer sound, quality recommendations to the sponsoring agencies on issues of importance to the Committee and the division. In striving to achieve consensus on major policy and procedural issues, Committee members will listen carefully to the views expressed by other Committee members and seek to find ways to reconcile those views with their own, without entering into positions that might cause them to compromise on matters of principle or fundamental importance to interests that they have been charged to represent.

            3. Sub-committee & Sub-group Provisions

The Committee Chair may appoint from among the members of the Advisory Committee any number of sub-committee (by appointing a chair for each sub-committee) for the purpose of the Committee in carrying out its functions. All provisions regarding the conduct of Committee meetings are applicable to the conduct of sub-committee meetings.

The purpose of any subcommittee is to give advice and make recommendations solely to the Committee and under no circumstances may any subcommittee act outside this purpose. The Committee Chairperson may appoint any member of the Committee to act as Chairperson for a subcommittee.  Sub-committee shall operate in accordance with Committee provisions.

The Chairperson may appoint temporary informal subgroups from among the members to perform such services as assisting the Committee or the Chairperson by gathering technical information or for suggesting schedules, plans, agenda, terms or methods of operation. They shall use the Sub-committee Guidelines for reference on how to conduct their business and make decisions.

HIOSH will provide staff support for research and mail outs. 

D. MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Open Meetings/Opportunity for Public Comment

All meetings of the HIOSH Advisory Committee itself, and its work groups shall be open to the public and shall be conducted in accordance with the meeting guidelines in appendix (1). Observers and members of the public are welcome to attend all meetings. The public will be given reasonable notice as to when Committee meetings will be conducted. The public will be given the opportunity for at least one formal comment period during the course of each of these meetings. Other opportunities for public comment will be offered at the discretion of the Chair or in accordance with the agenda developed by the Chair.

E. ACCOUNTABILITY AND MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Committee will maintain a written record that will accurately summarize the content of and any decisions made by the Committee at Committee meetings. This written summary will be prepared in draft form and all Committee members will be provided an opportunity to suggest revisions and changes to a draft meeting summary if they do not believe it accurately portrays the content of the Committee's deliberations. Once approved as final, meeting summaries will be available to the public upon request and posted on the HIOSH website.

The Chair and each member of the Committee have a joint responsibility for assuring that these operating ground rules are observed. Committee members are encouraged to bring concerns regarding the operating guidelines, and adherence thereto, to the attention of the Chair for consideration of possible revision or other appropriate action. Since the success of the committee depends upon the cooperation and effective communication between and among its members, Committee members and division agree to:

·         Listen carefully to each other and not interrupt;

·         Adhere to the ground rules and respect the procedural guidance and recommendations of the Chairperson;

·         Avoid personal attacks; and

·         Avoid characterizing the views or opinions of another Committee member outside of any Committee meeting or activity.

The Chair and each member of the Committee also have a joint responsibility to ensure that the aspects of the Committee's mission that pertain to the safety and health of workers’ in Hawaii .

At the end of every other year of operation, or at other times if necessary, the Committee will evaluate and, if necessary, revise these ground rules and the membership of the Committee with the objective of ensuring an efficient and fair process, and balanced and diverse membership.

Finally, the Chair and each member of the Committee have a joint responsibility to periodically and honestly evaluate the effectiveness of the Committee in accomplishing its mission, the degree to which the Committee's mission is still necessary and relevant, and through such an evaluation to determine whether the Committee should continue to exist.