How to Empower Employees and Reduce Risk With a Safety Committee
Summary: Many companies have safety committees that meet each month but accomplish very little. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A stagnant safety committee can be revitalized. The committee can be empowered to make genuine changes.
The safety committee concept has been entrenched in American manufacturing, industry, etc. for generations. Yet, in many organizations, the safety committee is little more than a symbolic acknowledgment that safety should be a priority. Committee members meet once a month but do not really accomplish anything. It shouldn’t be that way.
A functional and productive safety committee is the engine that drives genuine safety among the safest organizations in the world. When implemented correctly, the safety committee does a lot more than just help a company avoid fines. It works in building a culture of ownership where workers actually care about the environment in which they work.
You can change your organization’s culture by committing to a proactive safety program development led by a team of committed individuals who want to see every member of your team genuinely care about safety. As safety compliance consultants, we can help.
How to Fix a Failing Safety Committee
Consulting firms like Compliance Consultants Inc. are often called in after management realizes that the safety committee is failing. The committee has been stagnant for a long time. Often, their failures are linked to one of three problems:
- They are top heavy
- They focus solely on lagging indicators (e.g., accidents that have already happened)
- They lack any real authority to make systemic changes
The stagnant safety committee becomes little more than a reporting body. The limited amount of work they do has no noticeable impact on improving organizational safety. A solution, then, is to transform this reporting body into a team that actually identifies and solves problems.
Safety compliance consulting can prove valuable to this endeavor by coming alongside the safety committee to both inform them of compliance requirements and help them design a framework that fits the workforce and work environment.
The Importance of Peer Representation
Note that it is sometimes necessary to revamp the safety committee to include more frontline workers. Employees are more likely to take ownership of a safety plan developed by peers. They trust their peers more than the executives they rarely see day-to-day.
Adequate peer representation in an organization’s safety program development gives frontline workers a voice. Employees are empowered to contribute to a culture of safety, driving the shift forward.
5 Keys to Revitalizing the Safety Committee
Revitalizing a stagnant safety committee requires a plan. Extra meetings and gallons of coffee will not cut it. As expert safety compliance consultants, we recommend embracing the following five keys to success:
1. Developing a Strategic Roadmap
The safety committee needs a plan. They need to create a strategic roadmap detailing how they will continue forging ahead. Without a roadmap, the team will find itself continually reacting to daily crises rather than working to prevent future problems.
A roadmap should include clear, actionable goals – goals above just ‘zero accidents’. In addition, it is important to establish leading indicators that reveal whether goals are being met.
Note that the best roadmap is developed by a diverse team made up of both management and frontline workers. We recommend that the committee include at least 70% non-management staff. Incorporate long-tenured workers, new hires, and even safety skeptics. They all have something to contribute.
2. Empowering the Committee to Change Things
A diverse committee with a strategic roadmap can be a powerful entity. But its ability to affect actual change is commensurate with the authority given to it by management. Therefore, the next key to success is empowering the committee to actually change things. Make sure the committee has:
- The tools necessary to reduce risk
- The authority to make changes without having to jump through hoops
- The voice to communicate directly with workers at all levels
Empowerment encourages the safety committee to take ownership. Likewise, their efforts empower the rest of the workforce to take ownership of workplace safety.
3. Streamlining Committee Meetings
Although meetings are a necessary component of a functional safety committee, the committee should not be meeting just to do so. Streamline committee meetings to make them as productive as possible. Make meetings productive by keeping them focused, structured, and intentional.
Meetings should be structured for action rather than mere discussion. Each meeting should have a primary focus, like forklift safety, for example, even though other items may be brought up. Each meeting should also conclude with an action plan for moving forward.
4. Planning for Continuous Improvement
Next up is planning for continuous improvement. Maintaining workplace safety is a marathon, not a short sprint. So the team should never assume maximum safety has been achieved. There is always room for improvement.
In this regard, safety program development should take advantage of every incident and ‘near miss’ as a source of information for improving safety. The committee should utilize available technologies for better reporting, compliance tracking, and communication.
5. Leveraging Safety Compliance Consultants
The final key to success is taking advantage of the expertise safety compliance consultants bring to the table. Outside consultations are critical for the simple fact that even the most passionate safety committees can develop tunnel vision. Consultants can help the safety committee by:
- Interpreting complex regulations
- Conducting objective risk assessments
- Providing professional development opportunities
- Coaching the safety committee on an ongoing basis
The safety committee exists to do more than discuss spreadsheets and report incidents to upper management. Its main purpose is to create and maintain a safety culture organization-wide. But the committee must be empowered to do so. When you empower your safety committee, you empower your entire organization to be safer.
Get Started Today with a Free Safety Inspection
If you are ready to change your organization’s safety culture, get started today with a FREE Safety Inspection from Compliance Consultants Inc. We can help you assess and develop a cost-effective and customized health and safety program.
FAQs
How often should an effective safety committee meet?
Although consistency is more important than frequency, monthly meetings are ideal for most safety committees. Less frequent meetings tend to lead to stalled projects and lost interest.
We already have a safety team. Why do we need outside consultants?
Internal safety teams are ideal for managing day-to-day safety issues. But internal teams often develop tunnel vision. Third-party consultants offer both a fresh perspective and an objective set of eyes.
Should the committee encourage ‘near miss’ reporting?
Yes, a big part of safety ownership is reporting ‘near miss’ incidents so that lessons can be learned. It is important to create an environment where workers will report without fear of getting into trouble.
What is the most common safety program development mistake committees make?
The most common mistake is creating a program on paper but never bringing it to fruition. This mistake is often manifested in a safety manual that no one ever reads.
Will revitalizing a stagnant safety committee have any impact on insurance premiums?
Insurance carriers appreciate active risk management. If they see a functioning safety committee that actually accomplishes real change, they are more likely to offer more competitive rates.
