Section 129.1004. Committee formation and membership

(a) An applicant-employer who has only one workplace within this Commonwealth shall form a single workplace safety committee at that workplace within this Commonwealth for certification.

(b) An applicant-employer who has more than one workplace within this Commonwealth may form either a single, centralized workplace safety committee representing each of its workplaces within this Commonwealth or separate and individual safety committees at each workplace within this Commonwealth for certification.

(c) The committee shall be composed of at least an equal number of applicant-employer and employee-representatives unless otherwise agreed upon by both parties. An applicant-employer shall provide a satisfactory, written explanation to the Bureau when a committee is not composed of an equal number of applicant-employer and employee-representatives and a majority of applicant-employer representatives exists. The explanation shall be signed by one employer and one employee committee representative.

(d) Workplace safety committees shall establish procedures that retain a core group of experienced members to serve on the committee at all times.

(e) Employee-representatives of the committees shall:

(1) Be permitted to take reasonable time from work to perform committee duties, without loss of pay or benefits.

(2) Join the committee for a continuous term of 1 year from the date of the first meeting attended. Records of member rotation shall be maintained by the applicant-employer for 5 years from the date of the Bureau’s receipt of the application.