Do You Have a Workplace Safety Committee?

What is a Workplace Safety Committee?

Creating a safety committee is a great first step towards providing a safe and healthy work environment, and is a key element to achieving continuous improvement for any workplace. The purpose of a safety committee is to regularly bring workers and management together in a cooperative effort to promote safety and health on a daily basis. A safety committee assists the employer by making recommendations for change regarding occupational safety and health issues that directly affect the company. 

A workplace safety committee that has set goals, functions and duties and meets routinely ensures that your facility is a safer environment for all your employees. The specific functions of a safety committee are to detect hazards, analyze and solve problems, and assist in safety management.  Meeting monthly is recommended as these meeting are an excellent way to keep everyone informed on current and updated safety regulations. 

Is There an OSHA Requirement for a Safety Committee?

OSHA doesn’t have a specific standard or requirement for implementing a safety committee. However,  OSHA does provide guidelines and recommendations on issues that should be regularly addressed.  Additionally, there are tangible benefits to instituting a committee and addressing workplace safety issues on an ongoing basis. 

The tangible benefits of having a safety committee include:

  • a reduction in the number of workplace injuries and illnesses
  • a reduction in the hidden costs associated with injuries and illnesses
  • an increase in employee safety awareness

Employees are also more likely to work safely because they are more invested in the implementation of company safety policies.  Developing a culture of safety is also one of the overall benefits of having a safety committee.  

What Should be Discussed by a Safety Committee?

It’s important to keep the OSHA Top 10 Violations top of mind for any committee as these are the most cited violations across the country, and have the largest numbers of accidents and corresponding fines. 

Your safety committee should not only meet regularly, but it should also have a set agenda of safety issues that must be addressed.  Each work site may present a unique set of safety concerns, so the committee can determine which possible hazards apply.  But there are also some general safety topics that are universal to all sites and those should remain on any meeting agenda. 

Regular safety meetings should be held on topics such as:

  • How to regularly and thoroughly maintain equipment
  • Review of the hazard reporting procedure
  • Reminders of the hazard correction procedures
  • PPE requirements and proper PPE wear, use and maintenance
  • Safe work procedures for the current work performed

Developing a site-specific agenda and having an invested and diverse group of employees addressing key safety issues is the overall objective of having a safety committee.  

The 5 key safety committee meeting topics:
  • OSHA Compliance. OSHA standards play a crucial role in workforce management, safety program development and accident prevention
  • Hazard Assessment
  • Safety Training
  • Return-to-Work Policies
  • Safety Program Improvement
Compliance Consultants, Inc. has years of experience in implementing, coordinating and participating in safety committees.  Let us help you establish a process for your organization and show how effective managements of committee meetings can lead to a culture of safety for your organization. 

Contact us today and get started in your company. 

This information is provided as a service to you by Compliance Consultants, Inc.

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