safety committees and safety meetings

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Safety Committees and Safety MeetingsWAC 296-800-130

For printing

Important:This rule requires you to have a method of communicating and evaluating safety and health

issues brought up by you or your employees in your workplace. Largeremployers mustestablish a safety committee. Smaller employers have the choice of either

establishing a safety committee or holding safety meetings with a management

representative present.

There is a dierence between a safety committee and a safety meeting.

Safety committee is an organizational structure where members represent a group.

This gives everyone a voice but keeps the meeting size to an eective number of

participants.

safety meeting includes all employees and a management person is there to

ensure that issues are addressed. Typically! the safety committee is an eective safety

management tool for a larger employer and safety meetings are more eective for a smaller

employer.our !esponsi"i#ity:$o esta"#is% a safety &ommittee or %o#d safety meetings to&reate and maintain a safe and %ea#t%y 'or(p#a&e for a##emp#oyees

ou must:

"stablish and conduct safety committees #$ %&'()**(+,*%*

Follow these rules to conduct safety meetings #$ %&'()**(+,*%-

WAC 296-800-13020)sta"#is% and &ondu&t safety &ommittees

ou must:

If: $%en:

ou employ ++ or more employees

on the same shift at the same

location

ou must establish a safety

committee

ou must:

*1+ )sta"#is% a safety &ommittee,

/ake sure your committee0

o ( 1as employee(elected and employer(selected members.

o The number of employee(elected members must equal or e2ceed

the number of employer(selected members.
http://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/Rules/corerules/HTML/296-800-130.htm#WAC296-800-13020http://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/Rules/corerules/HTML/296-800-130.htm#WAC296-800-13025http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/PDFs/296-800-130.pdfhttp://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/Rules/corerules/HTML/296-800-130.htm#WAC296-800-13025http://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/Rules/corerules/HTML/296-800-130.htm#WAC296-800-13020


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ote:

"mployees selected by the employees bargaining representative or union qualify asemployee(elected.

o The term of employee(elected members must be a ma2imum of one

year. 3There is no limit to the number of terms a representative can serve.4

o 5f there is an employee(elected member vacancy! a new member

must be elected prior to the ne2t scheduled meeting.o ( 1as an elected chairperson

o ( 6etermines how often! when! and where! the safety committee will meet

Note:

Meetings should be one hour or less, unless extended by a majority vote of the

committee.If the committee cannot agree on the frequency of meetings, the department of

Labor & Industries regional safety consultation representative should be consulted for recommendations.(ee the resources section of this boo! for contacts."

ou must:*2+ Co.er t%ese topi&s:

7eview safety and health inspection reports to help correct safety hazards.

"valuate the accident investigations conducted since the last meeting to determine if

the cause3s4 of the unsafe situation was identi8ed and corrected.

"valuate your workplace accident and illness prevention program and discuss

recommendations for improvement! if needed.

6ocument attendance.

#rite down sub9ects discussed.

*3+ !e&ord meetings,

:repare minutes from each safety committee and0

o ( :reserve them for one year

o ( /ake them available for review by safety and health consultation personnel

of the department of Labor ; 5ndustries.

WAC 296-800-1302/o##o' t%ese ru#es to &ondu&t safety meetings,

ou must:

If: $%en:

ou employ +* or less employees

or5f you have ++ or more employees

that

#ork on dierent shifts with

+* or fewer employees on each

shift

ou may choose to hold a safety

meeting instead of a safetycommittee


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or

#ork in widely separate

locations with +* or fewer

employees at each location

*1+ o t%e fo##o'ing for safety meetings,

/ake sure your safety meetings0

o ( re held monthly. ou may meet more often to discuss safety issues as they

come up.

o ( 1ave at least one management representative.

*2+ Co.er t%ese topi&s,

7eview safety and health inspection reports to help correct safety hazards.

"valuate the accident investigations conducted since the last meeting to determine if

the cause3s4 of the unsafe situation was identi8ed and corrected.

"valuate your workplace accident and illness prevention program and discuss

recommendations for improvement! if needed.

6ocument attendance.

#rite down sub9ects discussed.

SA)$ CMMI$$)) A$ ! W!45AC)


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INTRODUCTION


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The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 ( OSHA 1994), which is based on theconcept of self regulation places the responsibility to ensure safety and health of worers onthose who create the ris ! As such , it is i"portant that both e"ployer and e"ployeesundertae the responsibility to pro#ide a safe and healthy worplace! One of the ways is byfor"ing a Safety and Health $o""ittee where both e"ployer and e"ployees can acti#elyget in#ol#ed and participate in i"ple"enting safety and health progra" at their worplace!


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LEGAL REQUIREMENT


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Section %& of OSHA 1994 "aes it co"pulsory for e"ployers who ha#e "ore than 4&e"ployees to establish safety and health co""ittee at their worplace or otherwisedirected by the 'irector eneral of 'OSH!


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The Section reuires e"ployers to consult worers representati#es in the co""ittee on"atters pertaining to occupational safety and health! *iewise e"ployees ha#e to getin#ol#ed and cooperate with the e"ployers!


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OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMITTEE


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The "ain ob+ecti#e of the co""ittee is to foster cooperation and consultation between"anage"ent and worers in identifying, e#aluating and controlling haard at worplace!


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-t is also an effecti#e channel of co""unication to e.change idea to sol#e proble"s relatingto OSH! /eedbac fro" worers will greatly assist e"ployers to pro"ote and pro#ide a safeand healthy wor en#iron"ent!


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FUNCTION OF THE COMMITTEE


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Section %1 of the Act has specified two "ain function as follows0


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Shall eep under re#iew the "easures taen to ensure the safety and health of person sat the place of wor!

Shall in#estigate any "atters at the place of wor!

1! hich a "e"ber of co""ittee or a person e"ployed thereat considers is not safeor is a ris to health2 and

3! hich has been brought to the attention of the e"ployer!


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esides the abo#e two "ain functions, other functions that can be i"ple"ented by theco""ittee are as follows2


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Assist in the de#elop"ent of progra""es and safe syste" wor! 5e#iew effecti#eness of progra"! -nspect worplace! 5eport unsafe acts and conditions! 5eco""end correcti#e action! 5e#iew and reco""end re#ision to safety and health policy! -n#estigate into any wor related accident, dangerous occurrence, poisoning or

disease! Study trends of accidents6disease, and Assist to organie pro"otional acti#ities!


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MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE


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-n line with the concept of fostering cooperation and consultation between "anage"ent andworers, "e"bership of the co""ittee should at least be as follows2


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Chairman 7 should be fro" the top "anage"ent, preferably the $8O Secretary 7 can be appointed fro" a"ong the "e"bers! -f the co"pany has safety

and health Officer he should be the secretary!

Management s Representatives Workers Representatives


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The organiation should decide on the adeuate nu"ber of "anage"ents and worersrepresentati#es to facilitate the consultati#e process! An -"portant consideration is that alldi#isions or sections should be represented! This is to ensure that all issues pertaining to

OSH at their respecti#e worplace are brought to the co""ittees nowledge pro"ptly! -t isalso i"portant that all "e"bers ha#e basic nowledge and interest in safety and health!


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ENSURING EFFECTIVE COMMITTEE


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8"ployers should hold regular safety co""ittee "eetings to ensure safety and healthprogra"s are i"ple"ented effecti#ely at their worplaces! :eeting should be heldregularly , at least once in % "onths!


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Howe#er, for worplaces with haardous wor en#iron"ent, such as in "anufacturing andbuilding operations wor sectors, "ore freuent "eeting should be held! The followingpoints can be taen into account to ensure effecti#eness of co""ittee "eeting0


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a! hat are the "ain issues to be discuss;# The chair"an and "e"bers should bear in "ind the golden rule

that they should stic to safety and health "atter only!

b! All rele#ant infor"ation on OSH "ust be "ade a#ailable to "e"bers!:e"bers "ust also be gi#en rele#ant training regularly!

c! :inutes "ust be efficiently recorded and distributed!d! Speedy decisions and follow up action "ust be "ade on any

reco""endations fro" "e"bers!e! Top "anage"ent should strictly wor on the concept of


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PENALTIES


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The OSHA 1994, i"poses a penalty in#ol#ing a fine of not e.ceeding 5: ?,&&&!&& or si. "onthsi"prison"ent or both for failure to establish a safety and health co""ittee at the worplace!

Sources : DOSH Phamplet

safety committees and safety meetings

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