Safety Committees

Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission/ 
Health and Safety Division
www.awcc.state.ar.us 
1-800-622-4472   fax: 501-683-3169
Health&Safety@awcc.state.ar.us

Purpose

Why should your company have a safety committee?  What is the purpose of a safety committee anyway? The safety committee can do many things for your company.  It can:

•	Serve as an advisory board
•	Participate in the development of health and safety procedures
•	

•	Measure effectiveness of safety programs
•	Get employees involved in safety 
•	Participate in work area self-inspections
•	Participate in accident investigations 
•	Recommend corrective actions 
•	Promote safety training

Deciding who should be members of the Safety Committee:

Every work force division should be equally represented, and no person or group should have veto power over decision-making.   Membership participation can be either by appointment or by volunteering. It would be preferable if the members of your safety committee have work experience or training, but not absolutely necessary.  Some of the most important criteria you can use when selecting safety committee members is:

1.	They should have a positive attitude. There’s nothing like somebody with a negative attitude to really bring down the whole committee and its effectiveness.  
2.	They need to be motivated - motivated to improve the safety and the quality of life at the workplace. 
3.	It certainly helps if they are enthusiastic.
4.	Have some older, more experienced and mature employees, and 
5.	Select some younger, inexperienced employees, too - they might offer some fresh ideas to the committee.
6.	The committee members should be able to work well with others and 
7.	It helps if the individual members are self-confident.  Sometimes, by serving on the Safety Committee, an employee may gain self-confidence.   

Safety Committee members need to work as a Team and have the same goal in mind.  They should all be working towards a safer workplace!

Safety Committee members need to know what is expected of them.  
They should:

•	Promote health and safety during the meetings, at their work stations and in their daily lives. 
•	Make recommendations to make the workplace safer
•	Encourage others to participate in the safety committee activities and in making the workplace a safer place. 

Safety Committee members also need to know that they:

•	Will meet regularly
•	Help identify potential hazards and suggest ways to eliminate them 
•	Analyze accidents and trends
•	Evaluate safety programs
•	Review work areas and specific jobs	
•	Review employee suggestions for improvements in the workplace
•	Priortize safety-related concerns according to frequency and severity of injuries.
•	Promote safety awareness by taking an active part in identifying safety education needs 
•	Communicate information to employees so accidents can be prevented.  

What about the Safety Director’s role?

He/She should attend every committee meeting, but should be a resource person or advisor, but he/she should not control the committee.  

Other employees with safety-related duties, such as the fire marshal, plant nurse, or the industrial hygienist may also serve as resource people. 

How long should members serve on the Safety Committee?

Stagger the rotation of the members so that new members come on the committee while other members continue to serve.   And make sure that no more than half of the committee members are “new” at any time. 

Post the names of the Committee members!

It’s always best to post the names of the members on the Safety committee so that all employees will know who to contact in their department if they have safety suggestions. 

Responsibilities of the Safety Committee:

1.	Safety Committees are established to promote safe workplaces. 
2.	They should serve as an advisor, but
3.	They are not responsible for the enforcement of disciplinary actions, personnel concerns, or individual unsafe acts or conditions 
4.	They should submit written recommendations for improvements or changes to management, 
5.	Evaluate safety and health policies and procedures annually,
6.	Respond in writing to recommendations from other employees, and
7.	Review all corrective actions.
8.	Establish procedures for employees’ to submit hazard reports, and
9.	Include employees’ suggestions on itineraries for safety committee meetings.

How to get the most out of your meetings:

•	Respect your fellow members.
•	Don’t make hasty decisions.
•	Recognize that you may have trouble communicating sometimes. 
•	KEEP AN OPEN MIND!  
•	Know what your committee’s goals are and what is expected from each member. 
•	Don’t waste time complaining - present solutions to problems instead!
•	Try to solve one problem at a time, and 
•	Use available resources to solve problems. 

How often should Safety Committees meet?

It’s best if the Safety Committee meets on a monthly basis, but if that’s not possible, they should meet at least on a quarterly basis. 

Document the meetings

The minutes of the committee minutes should be distributed to management and to the safety committee members for their review.  These minutes should also include any safety recommendations that the committee made.  These minutes should be posted in an area, or areas,  where all employees can see and read them. 

Safety Committee members should be trained. 

•	Safety Committee members should be told the purpose of the committee meetings.
•	They should have access to all applicable OSHA Safety & Health Standards. 
•	They should receive instructions on how to use the OSHA Standards. 
•	Committee members should receive training on how to recognize hazards in the workplace and how to conduct accident investigations.

Safety Committee members should also be compensated for the time they spend on Health & Safety activities.  It’s the company’s decision on how or what the compensation will be, but the management should understand that the safety committee members are serving a valuable role and providing services for the company above and beyond their normal job description.

Summary

Safety committee leadership PLUS support from management can help build an effective safety and health program.  The safety committee can be a constructive tool, proving guidance and leadership in the overall health and safety of the company. 

References

Videos pertinent to this subject may be obtained from the Arkansas Department of Labor/Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission’s Resource Center at 501-682-9090.

Revised 7/02