What is a Safety Committee?

An effective Safety Committee has a significant impact on health and safety throughout the organization’s culture, and may also save the company money through reduced workers’ compensation costs, fewer lost workdays, and increased productivity due to higher employee morale.

Why Should You Have a Safety Committee?

Safety committees can have a significant impact on a company because they provide you with the opportunity to sit down with front line workers to discuss prominent safety concerns. Safety committees set a great example for worker safety and allow them to hold an important role in keeping not only themselves, but their coworkers safe.

Having a safety committee in your organization can bring several important benefits:

• Enhanced Safety Culture: Safety committees provide a platform for all levels of the company to voice concerns and suggestions, fostering a culture where safety is prioritized the organization as a whole.

• Identification of Hazards: Employees who perform tasks daily are best positioned to identify potential hazards. A safety committee allows these insights to be shared and acted upon promptly.

• Effective Risk Management: By addressing safety issues proactively, you can reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents and injuries, thereby minimizing disruptions and costs associated with incidents.
• Compliance and Certification: Some jurisdictions offer incentives such as reduced workers’ compensation premiums for companies with certified safety committees, promoting compliance with safety standards and potentially saving costs. For more information, contact your state workers’ compensation bureau and insurance company to discuss discounts available in your area.
• Employee Engagement and Empowerment: Involving employees in safety initiatives shows that their well-being matters, boosting morale and productivity.

Core Elements That Will Help Your Safety Committee Thrive:

“Establishing a safety committee not only enhances workplace safety but also demonstrates your commitment to creating a safe and healthy work environment for everyone.”

• Have management representation and involvement.
• Hold regular meeting times and set clear roles for the committee members.
• Prioritize topics and set goals so the discussion stays on track.
• Follow through with member issues by implementing corrective actions and completion dates.
• Recruiting at least one member from every department.
• Develop a meeting agenda and take minutes to keep track of discussions.
• Review current trends in your own organization and allow for an open discussion.
• Involve members in incident investigations and workplace inspections.

How do I Start a Safety Committee?

1. Build your committee! – These are the roles to consider: Chair Person, Vice Chair, Committee Members, Subcommittees, Person responsible for executing decisions and diffusing conflicts.

2. Meeting logistics – Most meet once a month. This can be formal in a conference room or try “mobile meetings” by walking through the workplace. This can be a great way to address concerns on the spot.
3. Agenda – Follow our safety meeting checklist. Assign someone to keep meeting minutes.
4. Involvement – Keep lines of communication open and respect everyone’s voice.

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