Safety Committee Best Practices

In working with hundreds of companies over the years, OECS has found a well-functioning Safety Committee at the center of nearly every strong safety culture. So here are our thoughts on the benefits of a safety committee, how to get one started and the best practices to ensure you reap all the benefits of your organization’s safety program.

In some instances, forming and holding safety committee meetings are required by law. You can check what your state requires by visiting OSHA State Plans.

Safety Committee Benefits

A safety committee can be an invaluable resource for management to stay on top of responsibilities, implement and monitor the company’s safety program organization and develop a workplace safety culture where all employees have a voice.

The safety committee is vital to overall workplace safety as it is a vehicle for employees to suggest safe work practices, which reduces loss and increases production efficiencies.

The safety committee can also promote other activities (inside and outside of work) that encourage employees to support the organization’s goals—ultimately resulting in developing a workplace culture that holistically supports the company and employees’ safety.

Starting a Safety Committee

It may be that you’re just getting started with a safety committee and need a few tips on the best ways to get it launched. Or, if you already have a committee, this can form the basis for reviewing areas that may have slipped through the cracks over the years as the committee changed. It could also be used to revitalize your committee.

1.      Management Commitment. Safety leadership begins at the top of the organization. In the case of a safety committee, company leaders need to provide resources, including allocating employee time and effort to the safety committee, supporting their initiatives and providing funding where required.

2.      Check State and Local Rules as well as Labor Contracts. Determine precisely what your state requires, along with any local rules. In addition, labor contracts and HR policies need to be consulted to determine any restrictions on employees’ time away from their regular job assignment, meeting attendance and pay considerations.

3.      Document the Purpose, Bylaws, Procedures, and Goals. Develop the framework for the safety committee through a well-constructed statement of purpose along with all the procedures needed to ensure the committee operates smoothly and with purpose. It should outline the frequency of meetings, the needed committee membership and more.

4.      Safety Committee Organization. The first few meetings are critical to the productivity and overall value of the committee. It should focus on reviewing the documentation provided in the step above and then filling in all the details needed for a productive committee. That includes everything from committee job descriptions and responsibilities to recording and publishing the minutes.

5.      Choosing Safety Committee Members. This is where the rubber meets the road. You’ll need to select the people who can make a difference, whatever their role within the formal organization. Ideally, you’ll have a balanced committee of management and front-line workers. The workers have the perspective needed to improve safety, and the management team has the authority and resources to get things done.

6.      Safety Committee Planning Cycle. It’s best to lay out a year’s worth of meetings. That way, people can mark their calendars and make sure they’re available. Essential action items should also be laid out ahead of time. In addition, agendas, meeting reminders, and focused action items will keep things moving forward.

7.      Focus on Committee Accountability. Those action items need to be followed up to ensure completion and emphasize the importance of getting things done for the Safety Committee.

Safety Committee Best Practices

The Safety Committee is one forum, hopefully among many in your organization, where the people who care can be heard. It’s the perfect venue to surface concerns and build ideas that can transform your safety culture and your company’s results.

Here are some of the best practices OECS thinks will help you get off on the right foot and stay on track with your crucial safety initiatives.

·         Review Purpose, Mission and Goals. Periodically review the committee’s purpose, mission and goals to make sure the committee remains relevant. If changes are needed, make them happen with everyone’s involvement.

·         Conduct a Safety Audit. A vital committee task should be to regularly review safety processes and procedures to ensure they are correct and to optimize communication to all employees.

·         Recommend Safety Training. As a result of the audit, the committee needs to identify and recommend the required training.

·         Review Accidents, Near Misses, Incidents, Lost Time Injuries and Claim Trends. The committee should review all accidents to help determine corrective actions to prevent accidents in the future. They should also regularly review workers compensation insurance claims to identify trends and the necessary steps for improvement.

·         Promote Safety. With all the information at their fingertips, the committee is ideal for promoting safety throughout the organization, including posters, contests, events, speakers and recognition/rewards programs.

·         Create a Recognition/Rewards Program. This could be one element of building a strong safety culture. It needs careful thought to recognize and reward the right behaviors that lead to safety improvements.

·         Track Committee Progress. Conduct an annual review of the committee’s progress on critical initiatives. This can help identify successes and deficiencies with follow-on rewards and refine processes and procedures to overcome shortcomings.

·         Publicize the Committee’s Accomplishments. As the result of the annual review, publicize the committee’s successes. This can reward committee members and emphasize to others the benefits of serving on the committee.

·         Develop Committee Members. As you work closely with committee members, identify those who could benefit from additional leadership training. This is the perfect way to develop your employees and build safety strength within the organization.

·         Rotate Membership. Bring in fresh ideas, new viewpoints, along with new energy. Make sure you have a blend of individuals from every level of the organization, including different functions and roles.

This blog post is an excerpt from our book: Building a Strong Safety Culture, The 5 C’s of Workplace Safety. You can learn more about our book, including supporting videos, at New Book by OECS.

Finally, watch our webinar about Safety Committee Best Practices.

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