1. Presented by: Insert Name Safety Management Consultant
Safety Committees: The Inside Secrets to an Effective Safety Committee
Why are you here? Why do we have 100 people on the line ready to hear about the inside secrets to an effective safety committee?
If I were to guess, we probably have a percentage of folks that
Have no committee and are trying to figure out where to start
Others that have committees that are losing steam fast and need some creative ways to get the committee back on track (usually the first sign of that is lack of attendance… people start missing meeting and all of a sudden your committee of 10 is now down to 3 - does that sound familiar?
And then there are the folks that have good committees but are looking for new approaches and ideas - something to spice things up.
Well, you are in the right place. Our loss control consultants have attended thousands of the committees over the years, have studied the ones that are making an impact, and also the ones that are falling short. Today we are here to share with you what we have identified as best practices and communicate those things that make committees fail so you don't do it yourself.
Presented by:
Insert Name
Safety Management Consultant

2. Benefits to an Organization
Fewer accidents
Improves safety culture by increasing employee and management involvement
Affects the bottom line of the organization
Safer work environment
Improved employee morale
LAUREN Benefits…. In this economy if your efforts are not perceived by management to be of benefit… guess what…. You wont get the support you need to make your committee successful.
Think about your committee. If I were to ask the members how your efforts benefit the company what would they say? Hopefully they would be able to come up with some pretty good answers. More importantly, if you have made an impact, have you communicated it well to all levels of the organization? Maybe not. I can tell you that you are not alone. Committees forget to share their successes and should by developing an end of the year summary that outlines injury reductions and committee accomplishments.
What do these benefits typically look like?
2. Ask yourself these questions: Do employees practice safety when management is not looking? Or Do your employees report unsafe conditions and near misses on their own? If your answer is "sometimes" or "no" then you are missing a key element of a productive safety culture. Mandating a program does nothing more than create an inconvenience in the mind of the employee. However, a program driven by employees will gain overwhelming acceptance. Safety committees are a great way to increase employee involvement.
1. It is proven, when you pay close attention to safety and work on issues proactively you have fewer accidents.
5. And Lastly, when employees feel that the company cares about their safety they feel good about working there. I have used to have a drug and alcohol treatment center as an account. There were a lot of incidents where staff were being assaulted by patients. The number one staff concern was that they didn't feel safe in their jobs and didn't feel that management was doing anything about it. It wasn't until management got on board and began to address the issues that their morale increased and their turnover decreased.
4. We want people to leave the building in the same condition that they arrived. Committees force safety to the front burner creating a safer work environment.
3. Worker's comp works just like auto insurance…. Have an accident and your premiums go up. When a committee sets goals to lower injuries and a plan to achieve these goals, it will have an impact on the bottom line.
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3. Demonstrating Top Management Commitment to the Committee
Communicate the importance of the safety committee in achieving the organization’s goals.
Promote the positive effects of the committee.
Commitment to resolve scheduling conflicts that may arise that would ultimately affect the success of the program.
Provide financial resources.
Provide time to get action items accomplished.
LAUREN Now I want you to think about your top management. Do they see your committee as a value or just another group that has to get together to comply with a state reg.
Even the most well intentioned safety efforts will eventually fail without the support of top management. Employees know when their top management is paying lip service to safety and will eventually not take it seriously themselves.
I attended a safety committee two months ago where the CEO dropped into the meeting to let the members know that their w.c. premium had decreased because the frequency and cost of their injuries had decreased. He thanked the group for their efforts and acknowledged that their efforts were partially responsible for making this happen. Incentive to stay involved with the committee? You betcha.
Here are some tangible things that your management can do to demonstrate their solid commitment.
1. Communicate the importance of the safety committee in achieving the organization's goals. If it is important to management it tends to be important to the employees. Think about how your organization has communicated the importance of the committee in a formal way.
2. Promote the positive effects of the committee: What I have found is that all the great things that safety committees accomplish are usually the most well kept secrets in the organization. Find ways to go beyond posting meeting minutes to communicate these successes.
3.Resolving scheduling conflicts: How often do managers pull their people from a safety meeting to fill another commitment? It happens all the time and what's worse is it is sending a strong message that safety is not the priority. Low attendance is one of the main reasons why committees fail. Each member should establish a back up so that every area is represented during every meeting.
4. Providing financial resources: Inevitably at some point, initiatives or recommendations will require financial support. The committee should establish a budget to cover these costs.
5. If a committee is structured appropriately, each member will have a part in completing action items. If not, all of the burden will fall on the chairperson who will quickly burn out. Does that sound familiar? Members not showing up prepared is a sure way to impact the success of the meeting. Managers should allot their staff time to work on assigned action items.

4. Demonstrating Top Management Commitment to the Committee
Attend safety committee meetings periodically.
Respond to recommendations in a timely fashion.
LAUREN
6. What better way to establish committee authority than by top mgt attending periodic meetings to show support. This sends the members a strong message that the committee is valued. Some committees have top mgt as a member. If so, go back and take a look at how often that manager attends.
7. Respond to recommendations from the committee in a timely fashion. What happens when management doesn't respond timely to recommendations? People lose motivation to make the effort and become skeptical of management's commitment.

5. Specific Functions of the Safety Committee
Develop a Mission Statement
Develop Safety Goals
LAUREN
I often get asked questions from committees that I attend, "what are the typical functions of a safety committee". Given the various types of industries that we insure, I have seen all kinds of formats. However, I think there are some fundamental things that most committees should be doing.
Two of the most important things that committees should be doing is Developing a Mission Statement and Setting Annual Safety Goals. I have to be honest though, these are two areas that are often missing from the structure of most committees.

6. Committee Mission Statement
The mission of the committee is to have more employees actively involved in safety, to eliminate accidents, and to help create a corporate culture that embraces safety. A Safety Committee consists of individuals that:
Complete facility inspections
Review workplace accidents & review accident investigations
Recommend corrective actions
Express their safety concerns
Review and improve safety policies and procedures
Suggest and coordinate safety training
LAUREN
A mission statement is a brief statement about the committee's fundamental purpose. It answers the question, "Why do we exist?"
As you will see on this slide, we have given you an example of a committee mission statement. I would urge you folks that have not created a mission to go back to your committees and do so.

7. Setting Annual Safety Goals
Develop annual safety goals and a plan of action to achieve these goals.
Outcome based goals:
20% reduction in total number of injuries over the next 12 months
10% reduction in slip and fall injuries
100% of employees attending safety training
LAUREN As a committee, you should know exactly what is expected of you, in terms of activities and results. So often, I see committees with no goals and more importantly no focus on reducing injuries in the workplace. Committees should know where their injuries lie, how the company is trending with regards to frequency and cost, and have a plan of action to impact these results.
I have given you some examples of some outcome or results based goals. Once you have established these goals, the next step is to outline a specific plan to achieve these goals. Let's take the 10% reduction in slip and fall injuries. A plan of action could look like this:
1. Work with the supervisors to provide better details regarding slip and falls on their investigation so that we can identify trends, and more specific root causes
2. Establish and enforce a footwear policy and distribute it company wide
3. Dedicate a quarterly safety inspection just to slip and falls so that slip and fall hazards can be proactively identified
4. Closely monitor parking lot conditions after inclement weather.

9. Setting Annual Safety Goals
SMART Goals
Specific (what is your expected outcome)
Measurable (an outcome that can be assessed)
Achievable (an outcome that is realistic)
Relevant (helps on your mission or bigger objectives)
Time frame (realistic timeframes)
LAUREN
Many of you are probably familiar with what is referred to as SMART Goals. Companies across the country use this approach when establishing goals for their business.
When you are writing a goal is is important that it has the following components:
Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Frame
Once the goal has been established, it needs to be communicated so that everyone in the organization understands what the facility is trying to achieve and how we are going to get there. As we move forward, we should be keeping track of the progress we are making towards achieving that goal at each committee meeting. Most importantly, we need to celebrate our injury free milestones and report results back to the workplace.
Communicate the goals and keep track of progress
Report results back to the workplace

10. Specific Functions of the Safety Committee
Analyze injury trend data and solve problems by making recommendations to management.
Review prior months supervisor accident investigation reports.
Receive specialized training such as accident investigation, risk assessment, etc.
DONNA
TREND DATA: It’s really easy to loose sight of potential trends if your committee is reviewing only injuries that occurred that month. Trending your data month to month may show you a developing trend that you may might not otherwise see. The most effective approach is to rely on the safety committee to identify the trends and communicate it to the appropriate department for input and a plan. Let me give you an example….
The committee identifies through their trending that the maintenance department has experienced an increase in cuts. The committee should discuss this and come up with potential solutions. Part of the approach should be to communicate this trend to the maintenance supervisor and ask that he/she look into this further and come back to the committee with a plan of action to address the cuts issue. By involving the supervisor, it creates ownership for safety at the department level and also helps to build that safety culture that we referred to earlier. The committee should not be expected to solve all problems. They should involve other people in the plant that are directly tied to an issue to offer solutions as well.
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORTS: Some committees only read the accident reports out loud. There is often no response from members, you might hear a question or two but then the chair will move right on to the next report. Does that sound like your committee? Rather than just get through the list of reports, listen to each one to learn if the supervisor has determined what the root cause of the injury was. Was corrective action suggested? Was it implemented? Your Safety Management Consultant can provide you with samples of AI forms.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING: Do your committee members get any specialized training such as job safety analyses or accident investigation? Specialized education is going to assure the committee’s effectiveness, especially out on the floor. You should have received a handout prior to the webinar that outlines suggestions for training safety committee members.

11. Ideas To Spice Up Your Meeting
Safety Committee
Ideas To Spice Up Your Meeting
DONNA
Clients often ask what other activities are typically performed by the safety committee. Here are some examples.
Special safety events
Employee suggestions programs
Injury prevention programs and so on.

12. Committee Membership Top management (especially in the early stage)
Middle management and supervisors
Safety Coordinator
Line staff from the various departments and shifts
DONNA
Who should be members of the Safety Committee? Membership should be drawn from all disciplines including top & middle management and supervisors, the safety coordinator or the person in charge of safety and equally as important – front line staff from a variety of departments and shifts. All members should have an equal voice within the committee.
LAUREN: Interject with the Perkins School example.
How long should members stay on? A core of key people including management, supervisors, union shop foreman, etc. should serve for 2-3 years. Apart from that, members should be rotated approximately annually. Be careful about rotating out too many seasoned members at one time – to retain a mix of experienced members, one or two new members can join the committee when other members terms expire. ??
The chairperson may serve a set term of office (one, two, or whatever number of years) or hold the position indefinitely – its’ really up to each individual organization. However, if the chair is rotated on a regular basis, it allows for greater involvement among the membership and it deepens their understanding for the responsibilities of the position.

13. Responsibilities of a Chairperson
Commitment to chair the committee.
Organize agenda items and materials for meeting.
Forward recommendations to appropriate management personnel.
Prepare periodic loss analysis reports with the assistance of designated members.
Follow up on past recommendations and outstanding issues.
DONNA
Now, I want you to think for a minute about your committee's chairperson. What vibe are they sending out to members? One in which they appear happy to be leading the group, their engaged and ready to get things accomplished? Or are they sending out a vibe that they were forced to be the leader and this is the last thing that they need on their plate? If it's the latter, it may be time for some new blood.
If your chairperson does all the talking or takes on all the action items, they are not effectively doing their job. If you are that chairperson, you have to find ways to engage members and share the workload. If your a member, you need to find a way to tactfully help your chairperson change this dynamic. I was at a meeting where the members were glazing over while the chairperson talked through the entire meeting. It was quite painful to watch.
In addition to other duties, the chair will be responsible for developing the agenda and materials for the meeting. The agenda should be sent out in advance of the meeting so that members can be reminded of action items are that they were assigned to do and come to the meeting prepared.
The role of the chair also includes forwarding recommendations on behalf of the committee to mgt, coordinating someone to prepare trending reports, and ensuring that all outstanding issues are followed up on in order to close the loop.
But more importantly, the chairperson's greatest role is that of a facilitator and organizer.

14. Selecting Committee Members
Employee has an interest in being on the committee and being a positive force.
Ability to see others viewpoints.
Credibility with peers.
Identified by their supervisor as having the following traits:
Solid understanding of their job responsibilities
Strong communication skills
Proactive nature
Ability to work independently on projects
DONNA
When your employee has been "voluntold" to be a committee member, what do you think their level of interest may be? You might get lucky and find someone really jazzed about being a part of the committee, but at the same time you may find that the employee doesn't have any interest in being there. Committee members need to all want to be a part of improving safety in their workplace.
When selecting members, think about someone who is open to other's viewpoints, has credibility with their peers, and is able to put themselves in someone else's shoes from time to time. Supervisors should be able to identify those in their department that would have the traits and qualities necessary to find a good match for the committee.

15. Member Responsibilities
Understand safety basics.
Actively participate.
Complete assigned action items.
Discuss safety concerns brought to the meeting.
Set examples by taking action.
Assist in communicating committee activities to all employees (five minute summary with department after meeting).
LAUREN
When attending safety committee meetings I often hear new members say "I'm a member but I have never done this before and I haven't a clue". Sometimes we forget to communicate to new members what their new role will look like and what their responsibilities entail. Let's review some of these basic responsibilities…
1. Understanding safety basics is helpful. Training should be provided for employees as needed.
2. Have you ever been to a committee meeting when the chairperson and one or two others dominate the meeting? Active participation is paramount and needed in order to get the most out of the committee. It is the responsibility of the chair to engage all members during the meeting.
3. Coming to the meeting prepared with action items completed or bringing forth safety concerns from peers is important. When surveying committee members in an effort to understand best practices, ensuring that assigned tasks are completed is a big concern for folks. Momentum is easily affected if people come to meetings unprepared.
4. Set examples by taking action - Enthusiasm is infectious and when committee members are enthusiastic about safety and the initiatives they are working on in the committee, others will follow suit.
5. Get the word out on things that the safety committee is doing. Set up a formal process for communicating to peers. Don't just rely on posted meeting minutes to get the information out there. At the same time, figure out how these accomplishments will be communicated to top management other than just in written form.

16. Structure of the Meeting
Establish meeting schedule (at least monthly).
Minutes distributed within 48 hours of meeting.
Task list that records assignments, follow up dates, those responsible for the task, etc.
Appoint subcommittees (restraints, fleet, facilities, etc.).
LAUREN
Here are some tips on structuring the meeting….
Establish a meeting schedule. The committee should be meeting at least quarterly but monthly meetings are best. Establish the schedule for the year so member can plan.
Distribute minutes within 48 hours of the meeting
Develop a task list that records assignments, follow up dates, and those responsible for the task
Appoint subcommittees as needed for tougher issues and projects that need to be addressed off line.
We have provided sample minutes and agendas that were sent to you prior to the webinar. You may want to take a look and see if it is something that is worth using.

17. Tips For a Successful Meeting
Establish meeting length
60 minutes is recommended
Start on time and end on time
Don’t wait – it promotes lateness
Establish time limits for each item
Stick to the agenda
Do not use this as a forum for complaints
LAUREN

18. Perceptions That Drive Reality:
What Creates Negative Attitudes Toward Committees?
Perceptions That Drive Reality:
Duties cut into busy schedules.
Chairperson is disinterested or has no time.
One person dominates the meeting.
Members were “volunteered”.
Meetings are boring.
LAUREN
When I ask people if they are on the committee, I sometimes get a nod of the head and the rolling of the eyes. I often wonder where those negative attitudes stem from. I came across an article that outlines some of the perceptions that drive reality. I thought it was worthwhile to share. Feedback from employees on this subject are as follows…..

19. Perceptions That Drive Reality:
What Creates Negative Attitudes Toward Committees?
Perceptions That Drive Reality:
Members aren’t properly trained.
Committee never gets anything done.
Meetings are just gripe sessions.
Supervisors are too busy to help safety committee achieve its goals.
LAUREN
If any of these attitudes are lurking in your committee it is important to take note and figure out a way to fix it.

20. Safety Committee Pitfalls
Failure to provide adequate training and guidance to the committee to allow them to complete their work.
Failure to follow through on recommended corrections or employee suggestions.
Expectation of immediate results.
Reacting to the problems rather than working to improve the system that creates the problems.
DONNA
Through out study of safety committees, we know what makes a committee successful and at the same time we know the pitfalls that can impact it's success. Let's take a look at some of these pitfalls so that they can be avoided.
Has mgt provided members with training on how to perform accident investigations, a safety inspection, a job hazard analysis? Training is key so that you can take a look at things that are on the floor that are creating problems.
Failure to follow through on recommended corrections or employee suggestions may be one of the biggest pitfalls. Follow through is a critical and can help you establish credibility fast.
Does your committee expect results right away when completing a task? Don’t. Some changes takes time, especially if the change is a process that everyone must undertake.
Finally, rather than reacting to a problem and putting a bandaid on it, why not work towards solving it by ensuring that there is a system in place.? A committee will gain more success when they work toward improving a process. Is your committee reactive, or proactive?

21. Safety Committee Pitfalls
Committee becoming the "safety police“.
All safety program responsibilities are delegated to the committee.
Complacency and stagnation.
Lack of attendance.
DONNA
Is your safety committee seen as the "Safety Police?" Do employees suddenly have something else to do when you come around to complete your safety inspection of their area? Don't fall into that trap -solicit suggestions from employees and promote a workforce whereby employees are practicing safety even when management is not looking.
Has mgt created an environment where all safety program responsibilities are delegated back to the committee? The best programs are those in which every level of the organization plays an active role in the safety efforts. If this isn't happening, then the committee should meet with management and convince them of a different approach.
Committee complacency, stagnation and low member attendance all go together. Members want to leave the meeting feeling like they are working towards a common goal and seeing things getting accomplished. Reflect back on your committee and what you have accomplished over the past year. If your committee has fallen short, go back to basics and start with developing some aggressive SMART goals.

22. What Makes a Safety Committee Successful?
Committee has the support and guidance of top management.
Meetings are organized.
Member roles and the purpose of meeting is understood by all.
Provides an environment for employee suggestions.
Committee has a mission statement, annual safety goals, and a plan of action to achieve those goals.
DONNA
What makes a committee successful?
In a nutshell, these are the areas that make a committee successful. Go back and assess your committee and find ways to bring it to the next level.

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