The use of Safety Committees has become widespread among organizations of varying sizes and industry sectors in the past fifteen years. Many companies use them as a means of delegating the implementation of the Safety Program or as a tool for inviting many differing approaches and opinions from varying staff levels. They can also be used to create sound working relationships between management and labor united around a common endeavor. Sometimes they are used because of discounts that may be offered by insurance carriers or because they are required by some carriers in order to write coverage. Unfortunately companies may fail to realize that a Safety Committee needs ongoing support and assistance from the top to function over the long haul. It needs resources and authority and leaders who can help the group make the most of its time and talents. And sometimes it needs to be rescued from itself and provided with assistance so that the members can refocus their efforts and become productive once again.

If your company has a Safety Committee that is failing to achieve its objectives or has lost its way and seems to be mired in mediocrity, this audio conference is designed to reinvigorate even the most sluggish Safety Committee. During the session, the five stages of Safety Committee Development will be reviewed.

These include:

• Getting the Mandate – This stage looks at how the Safety Committee gets its start. Questions such as who authorizes the group to form and what mandate or mission is the group given is considered, along with goals of the Committee.
• Laying the Foundation – The membership of the Safety Committee is vital to how it functions and the tasks it addresses. Also to be considered is who is in charge of the group and how does it spend money for safety initiatives.
• The Early Years – This stage is traditionally the time when the Safety Committee is new to the organization and has success in promoting safety throughout the organization. The cohesion of the group is strong and it can usually work though minor problems such as conflicts among members about goals. Employees in the organization see results and look favorably at the Safety Committee and its members.
• What Happened to Us? – Somewhere along the line, many Safety Committees begin to lose their way and have difficulties in remaining focused and energetic. They cease to function effectively and members feel frustration or resignation about the group’s ability to impact safety in the organization. Meetings are boring or become gripe sessions and attendance lags. There are many reasons for entering into this stage, most often due to lack of a leader with vision, purpose and authority or because the management of the organization does not truly support the group’s efforts. The key to maintaining an effective Safety Committee over the long run is in remaining out of this stage.
• Finally Getting it Right – When a Safety Committee that has begun to sag rediscovers itself and re-defines its mission, the result is a fully functioning group that has the ability to make lasting changes on the safety program of the organization. When the Safety Committee gets it right, the results are substantial and far-reaching and the organization can expect to see the implications of the development of a safety culture.