What Does Safety Committee Mean?
A safety committee is an organization group that operates within a workplace and is composed of members from its various departments, including management, frontline workers, and office staff.
The main purpose of a safety committee is to mitigate the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses. Its duties also include informing and educating employees about safety issues, setting achievable safety goals for the organization, and fostering a safety culture among the workforce.
Safeopedia Explains Safety Committee
Safety committes are typically formal arrangements that hold regular meetings, either weekly or monthly. In smaller companies, however, it is common for the safety committee to gather all staff members for a monthly or quarterly safety meeting.
Representation in Safety Committees
An effective safety committee should be large enough to broadly represent the workforce. It should include employees from all levels of the company, from the custodial staff to upper management.
Safety committee best practices include making sure that everyone has the opportunity to provide input, post questions, and raise concerns.
The Functions and Duties of a Safety Committee
A safety committee serves a variety of functions, including:
- Developing written safety programs
- Promoting safe work practices
- Facilitating safety training
- Performing workplace inspections
- Carrying out accident investigations
- Acting as a point of contact between employees and management
- Reviewing injury and illness records
- Increasing awareness about workplace safety issues
- Identifying hazards and recommending appropriate control measures
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) 1960.40 standard provides a more formal outline of a safety committee's duties.
The Importance of Establishing a Safety Committee
Safety committees help provide an overall perspective of the safety status of the organization. It serves as a visible body that can be approached for safety or health complaints, suggestions, and other types of feedback.
As the committee solely deals with safety-related issues, it ensures that there are employees focused on and dedicated to coordinating safety-related activities. It also encourages and motivates employees to follow safety standards and signals to them that the organization is taking measures to protect their wellbeing.
