How to Select Safety Committee Members

Safety committee members must:

• Set a good example. Committee members must set a good example! Committee members must be above average in their safe work habits and their positive attitude about safety.

• Be visible. Names of safety committee members should be posted prominently in their departments. They are the strong right hand to supervisors. Some companies also give safety committee badges to identify their committee members.

• Hold regular meetings. Safety committees must meet formally (usually at least once a month, sometimes biweekly).

• Serve as a sounding board for safety and health activities. Positive management groups ask their safety committees to be sounding boards on proposals for new safety rules, developing JHA changes or additions to personal protective equipment, participate in safety fairs and safety victory days.

OSHA industrial hygiene requirements mandate specific procedures for protecting employees from chemical hazards. Don’t get caught short! Join us for an in-depth webinar on May 13 and learn what you need to know about this important workplace issue. Click here for details.

Job Description of Effective Committee Member

A Toronto packaging manufacturer encountered such confusion among its safety committee members that it developed an orientation program for newly appointed safety committee members, including a Job Description of an Effective Safety Committee Member. That outline of duties reads like this:

Primary Function

To give your best efforts to make the department free from accidents and occupational health problems.

Duties

Work safely yourself-set the example in the department.

• Attend and actively participate in safety committee meetings when on day or second shift. If you are on third shift, notify your supervisor so that your alternate can attend.
• Work with your supervisor to eliminate hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices in the department. Speak to your fellow employees if you believe that they are engaged in an unsafe work practice; report things which you feel you can’t handle to your supervisor for further action.
• Investigate with your supervisor recordable case injuries that occur in your department. Participate in Plant Review Committee activities on lost workday case accidents or industrial illnesses in your department.
• Listen to employee suggestions about safety and bring those that appear to have merit to the department supervisor for review.
• Coordinate with your alternate to conduct department safety inspections in the first week of each month, using the pre-printed checklist as your guide. Each quarter participate with a plant management member in a facility wide safety audit.

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Join us for an in-depth webinar on May 13, and get up to speed on everything you need to know about OSHA’s chemical hygiene requirements. Learn More.

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Don’t Miss Our Next Safety Webinar!

One important topic a safety committee might need to consider is industrial hygiene requirements.

Since 1990, OSHA has required facilities engaged in the use of chemicals in a laboratory to develop and implement a written chemical hygiene plan (CHP). This standard mandates that companies set forth procedures, equipment, PPE, work practices, training, and policies to help protect employees from the health hazards presented by hazardous chemicals used in their workplace.

While most safety professionals are typically well-trained on identifying and controlling traditional safety hazards, many are less familiar with the health-related hazards in the workplace.

Don’t get caught short. Join us for an in-depth webinar on May 13, and learn:

• How to make certain that you’re in compliance with the chemical hygiene standard, and who in your workplace is covered
• What your chemical hygiene plan (CHP) must include, and how to create effective standard operating procedures
• The specific control measures-from engineering to PPE-you must include in your CHP
• Where to source information on chemicals, and how be sure your library of Material Safety Data Sheets is complete and current
• How to designate a Chemical Hygiene Officer and assign responsibilities for routinely reviewing the CHP to make needed modifications
• How to provide site-wide annual training for employees and create the complete training documentation needed during OSHA inspections
• The particular precautions you must take when dealing with toxic substances, carcinogens, and other hazardous chemicals in the workplace

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speaker questions—either on the phone or via the webinar interface.

You will receive access instructions via e-mail three days before the event and the morning of the event. Your conference materials will be included in these emails for you to view, print, and download prior to the event. They are also available on the webinar interface when you log in.

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