There are many elements involved in workplace safety. Several employees may hold key positions in their company safety program including serving as the director, a supervisor, or as part of a workplace safety committee.
A workplace safety committee is a group of workers that work together to carry out safety policies, make safety procedures, review safety information, and provide advisement on necessary changes in the workplace to promote safety. They work directly with the safety officer in a workplace.
The workplace safety committee members have specific responsibilities to be carried out. These responsibilities include:
Monthly Meetings – Most committee members meet once a month. Meeting agendas include accident review, investigation reports, safety inspection reports, training and compliance, and relative safety issues.
Incident and Accident Analysis – The committee conducts on a quarterly basis an analysis of workplace incidents and accidents to help develop corrective actions to prevent safety issues in the future.
Annual Safety Goals and Training – The committee develops and heads up the yearly training schedule based on workplace safety requirements as well as ongoing accident issues. The committee also sets safety objectives for the upcoming year based on their annual report.
Annual Reporting – The committee also works to create a report annually for submission to the executive director or risk manager that includes an analysis of accidents, achievements in safety programs, and any outstanding safety issues of concern.
While the safety of the work environment is partially the responsibility off all employees, the safety committee also ensures the policies and procedures are created and implemented on a routine basis.