1. Effective Safety Committees
Mark Shaffer, Sr. Safety Consultant
Safety & Personnel Resources

2. Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this training seminar, each participant will be able to:
Explain the benefits of a corporate safety committee.
Describe the major elements of an effective risk management committee.
Identify the roles of the committee members and top management team.

3. Why have a safety committee?
How many of you have an active safety committee?
Tell me some of what your safety committee performs – what are you really proud of?

7. Purpose
The safety committee should be the “eyes and ears” of your corporate risk management program.

8. Who should be on the safety committee?
Depending on the size of your agency, 5-9 staff members should be involved with your risk management/safety committee.
Human Resources
Maintenance member
Top Management
Employees from difference departments
Workers that need additional safety reinforcement
Members interested in your safety culture

9. Role of the Corporate Safety Committee
The safety committee is not the maintenance committee.
Emphasize the positive action
What is going right
Cheerleaders for safety!
Risk assessments for your locations.
Ability and knowledge to make safety suggestion for improvements.

10. Role of the Corporate Safety Committee
Participate and conduct safety training sessions
Assist with the documentation of the safety/risk management program
Listen for safety suggestions from other co-workers
Accident review committee involvement

11. Role of the Corporate Safety Committee
Examine accident trends and improvements
Communication regarding safety policies and guidelines
Inform and advise safety committee members of any unsafe conditions

12. Key Elements Top Management Commitment
Does your team participate in safety meetings, training sessions, orientation, etc.
Top Management Support
Must have to fulfill safety committee established objectives
Does your agency have a general risk management/safety policy statement?
Appoint a Safety Coordinator for the agency
Accountability
Do you have a written program?
Are employees held accountable if they break a safety practice or policy?

13. Key Elements Formal annual safety training calendar
Establish and implement annual training
Document completed training and keep on file
Zero Accident Culture
Discuss during orientation
Risk Assessments
Completed by safety committee, supervisors, maintenance, etc.
Documented audits of any unsafe conditions
Correct unsafe condition as soon as possible

14. Key Elements Accident Investigation
Completed by supervisor, Human Resources, Safety Coordinator, Safety Committee, etc.
Documented investigation
Retraining
Complete before employee is allowed to return to work and/or to resume safety sensitive function

15. Key Elements Accident Review Establish formal committee and implement
Any employee involved in an OSHA restricted or lost time accident
Meet with review committee to help determine root cause of the claim
Return to Work Program
Does your agency have a modified duty program?
Keep documentation on jobs that can be performed on modified duty

16. Key Elements Medical Clinic
Conduct visit to selected medical provider to advise them of your Return to Work Program
Joint visits to the clinic
HR or Safety Coordinator participate in joint visits with the injured employee
Revise safety programs
Review training practices and programs annually
Revise annually and/or as needed

17. Key Elements Claim reviews
Quarterly claim reviews with Worker’s Compensation insurance company
Human Resources
Is safety in the employee’s job description?
Is safety evaluated as part of the employee’s performance review?
Safety observations
Does your agency inform staff members they are doing a great job?

18. Key Elements Conduct behavior training Relationships
Does your agency have a good working relationship with your Insurance Account Manager, Loss Control Manager, and Insurance Loss Control Consultant?
Lift/Transfer/Back Safety training program
Competency based

19. Key Elements Formal monthly inspection of all lift units and slings
Documented and kept on file
Drug testing program
Formal post job offer examination
Can the new employee perform the required job tasks

21. Safety First, Last, Always
Shara Muller, Associate Director of Human Resources Imagine the Possibilities, Inc.

22. Our Story Better Together DAC, Inc. G&G Living Center, Inc.
Imagine the Possibilities, Inc.
Midwest Opportunities, Inc.
G&G Living Center, Inc.
Better Together

23. Where do we start?

24. Where do we start? Be positive! Don’t have to reinvent the wheel
Realize everyone wants the same thing
Be open-minded
Commitment

25. Better Together Information Sharing Resources
Policies/Procedures
Best Practices
Training
Resources
Insurance relationships
Loss Control relationships
Different perspectives
Other agencies
Create 1 corporate standard
Regional committees
Corporate committee
Combine the best of all 4
Revise
Implement
Assess effectiveness ongoing

26. Committee Selection Regional Committee Committee Chair Person
Representation from every department
Representation from every level in the organization HR
Maintenance
Management members
Front line employees
Individual(s) served
Anyone with an interest in safety

27. Committee Selection Corporate Committee
Representation from executive team
Representation from all regions
Representation from all service areas
Representation from external resources
Unique perspectives
Chair persons from all regions HR
Maintenance
Departments
Directors, supervisors
Work Comp Insurance
Liability Insurance

28. Committee Guidelines Develop guidelines for the committee:
Regularly scheduled meetings
Selected members
Attendance requirements
Agenda
Committee’s role
Committee members’ roles and responsibilities
Meeting minutes
Handling of confidential information

29. Committee Priorities Establish priorities:
Goals to eliminate known or potential loss sources
Safety education
Inspections, observations, assessments of processes
Review of possible changes
Job hazard analysis
Annual review and updating of safety rules and procedures

30. Challenges What challenges do you encounter…?
Within your organization?
With governing/regulatory bodies?
Within your program?

31. Keep it alive… Have a clear understanding of your role/responsibility
Know the value of a safety committee
Have a clear understanding of your role/responsibility
Create buy-in
Know your resources
Have the support of management

33. Leading to Safety Jeff Morris, Chief Human Resources Officer
Imagine the Possibilities, Inc.

34. Leadership & Safety
Creating a culture of safety in your organization will absolutely require a concerted effort at all levels of leadership.

36. 7 practical considerations
Establish an organizational structure.
Establish policies, processes and goals.

37. 7 practical steps Allocate resources.
Make it a priority in practical ways.
Emphasize continually
Seek Input routinely
Implement creatively

38. 7 practical steps Be visibly and intentionally involved.
Reward people for safety success.
Celebrate your successes.

39. It’s up to you!
Safety needs to be encoded into your organization’s DNA.
Safety is a cultural element which needs to be evident throughout the organization.
Safety needs to be a commitment on the part of the organization’s leadership at all levels.

40. The research says…
Dr. Harry Shannon, Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health (a non- profit organization located in Ontario, Canada) has examined workplace factors in relation to injury rates.

41. The research says…
“We found that factors such as workforce empowerment, good relationships between managers and workers, conducting safety audits, training of joint health and safety committee members, and active participation of top management in joint health and safety issues were all consistently related to lower injury rates.”

42. The research says…
Shannon also says, “It’s important for workers to actively see how management deals with safety issues. Is management taking an active role? If workers think safety is being dealt with responsibly, then it probably is.”

43. So what does leadership have to do with it?

44. Influence

45. Influence
“The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.”
~ John Maxwell

46. Influence
A commitment to safety on the part of your employees cannot be effectively dictated. You can try to use the leverage you have in terms of compensation, benefits, perks and even discipline. AND SOMETIMES THIS IS NECESSARY.

47. Influence
The most effective and “true” leadership; however, comes from having personal influence.

48. Influence
“If you can’t influence others, they won’t follow you. And if they won’t follow you, you’re not a leader.” ~ John Maxwell

49. Connection

50. Connection
Effective leaders know that you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand…The heart comes before the head.
~ John Maxwell

51. Connection
“People won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
~ John Maxwell

52. Connect
Influence
Lead

53. Why is this important?
If your employees are working in an environment in which they know they are…
Uniquely valued
Personally understood
Genuinely cared for

54. They have a reason to be safe.
Why is this important?
They have a reason to be safe.

55. Don’t underestimate your role as a leader in providing for safety successes.