Safety committees play an important role in many workplaces. Not only do they write safety policies, but they also lead training’s, resolve conflicts and implement new ideas. If you’re part of the safety committee at your workplace, consider these mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
- Fill the committee with only management. The most unbiased and fair safety committees include people from all levels and departments.
- Allow a passive person to lead the group. Because safety can save lives and deeply affect a company, a safety committee’s leader must be willing to take a stand, lead discussions, make tough decisions, engage each member and ensure participation.
- Refuse to write a mission statement. Even if the state or insurance company mandated your safety committee, you still need a mission statement that defines each member’s role and ensures committee efficiency.
- Don’t offer training. Your safety committee will only be effective if it’s staffed with members who understand health issues, safety analysis and accident investigation.
- Meet sporadically and don’t require members to attend. The most effective safety committees meet regularly, and each member prioritizes attendance.
- Don’t record meeting minutes. By publishing the minutes, you summarize the issues you discuss, ensure accountability and jump-start the next meeting’s agenda.
- Don’t set goals. Measurable and achievable short term and long term goals ensure safety precautions are put into place.
- Complain. There’s a time and a place to complain about general problems with your employer. Safety committee meetings are designed to discuss legitimate safety issues only.
- Forget to follow through. If your committee makes goals or assigns a task to someone, follow through and make sure that task gets done.
- Start one committee for all locations. Individual locations may require unique safety guidelines, so each site should have its own safety committee or contribute to the discussions.
A safety committee plays a crucial role at your workplace. If you’re part of it, refuse to make these 10 mistakes to ensure it operates smoothly and efficiently.
