Guidelines for Forming And Operating a Safety Committee
Safety committee: Purpose
The purpose of the safety committees is to promote health and safety in the workplace.
Safety committee formation and membership
The safety committee should be composed of an equal number of employer and non-managerial employee representatives. In situations where a collective bargaining relationship exists, employee representatives may be selected by their peers. Seasonal or temporary workers need not be counted for the purpose of determining the number of members who will serve on the committee.
Each safety committee shall be co-chaired by a representative selected by the employer and a representative selected by the employee members of the committee. Employee representatives attending safety committee meetings or participating in safety committee instruction or training should be compensated at the employee’s regular hourly wage.
Length of membership should be alternated or staggered so that at least one experienced member is always serving on the committee. Membership shall be structured to insure continuity of committee functions. Committee members should be representative of the types of work done by the employees of the company.
Safety committee duties and functions
Meeting agenda and frequency
The committee should have a written agenda for each safety committee meeting. The committee should meet at least once every 60 days except months when quarterly workplace safety inspections are made.
Written records
Minutes should be kept of each meeting which the employer shall review and maintain for three years for inspection by the Safety Group. Copies of minutes may be posted or made available for all employees and shall be sent to each committee member. The minutes should record all reports, evaluations and recommendations of the safety committee. The employer should respond to committee recommendations within 30 days and the written response should be recorded in the minutes of the committee meeting held after the response is received by the committee co-chairs.
Employee involvement
The committee shall assist in establishing a system to allow the members to obtain safety-related suggestions, reports of hazards or other information directly from all people involved in the operations of the workplace. The information obtained shall be reviewed at the next safety committee meeting and shall be recorded in the minutes for review and any necessary action by the employer.
Hazard assessment and control
- The safety committee shall assist the employer in evaluating the employer's accident- and illness-prevention program and shall make written recommendations to improve the program where applicable. Additionally, the safety committee shall:
- Assist in establishing procedures for workplace inspections by the safety committee inspection team to locate and identify safety and health hazards;
- Conduct workplace inspections at least quarterly; and
- Recommend to the employer how to eliminate hazards and unsafe work practices in the workplace.
- The inspection team shall include employer and employee representatives and shall document in writing the location and identity of the hazards and make recommendations to the employer regarding correction of the hazards.
- Quarterly inspections of satellite locations shall be conducted by the committee or a representative authorized by the committee.
- Work sites or locations and activities which do not lend themselves to a quarterly schedule shall be inspected by the committee or a representative authorized by the committee as often as necessary based upon changes in working conditions or operations as the committee determines is necessary.
- The person designated to carry out inspection activities at the locations identified in sections 3 and 4 of this rule shall be selected by the employer and shall receive training in hazard identification in the workplace.
Safety and health planning
Accountability
The safety committee shall assist in evaluating the employer's accountability system and make recommendations to implement supervisor and employee accountability for safety and health.
Accident investigation
The safety committee shall assist in establishing procedures for investigating all incidents including injury accidents, illnesses and deaths.
Safety and health training and instruction
- The following items shall be discussed with all safety-committee members:
- Safety-committee purpose and operation;
- Methods of conducting safety-committee meetings.
- Committee members shall have ready access to applicable Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act and Standards and verbal instructions regarding their use.
- All safety-committee members shall receive training based upon the type of business activity. At a minimum, members shall receive training regarding:
- Hazard identification in the workplace; and
- Principles regarding effective accident and incident investigations.
