Safety committees are an often overlooked but powerful tool that OSEA chapters can use to hold districts accountable. An active and engaged safety committee can effectively address the safety of staff and students, as well as hazardous conditions in the workplace.
What is a safety committee?
Oregon law requires employers to establish safety committees to evaluate health and safety concerns. A safety committee brings workers and management together to promote safety. Safety committees
- Establish accident investigation procedures to identify hazards and ensure they are corrected
- Create a system for employees to report workplace hazards and suggest ways to fix them
- Review inspection reports and make recommendations to management
- Evaluate all accident and incident investigations and recommend ways to prevent incidents from recurring
- Review ways management holds employees accountable for working safely and recommend ways to strengthen accountability. E.g., evaluating safety incentives, discipline policies and employee participation in identifying hazards
Safety committees are made up of members elected by the employees and members selected by the employer. At least half of the committee must be employee-elected; if everyone on the committee agrees, employees may elect more than half of the members but a safety committee cannot have a majority of employer-selected members.
Safety committees can chose to meet monthly or quarterly. The committee must make meeting minutes available for all employees to review.
Committee members must be trained in hazard identification and the principles of accident and incident investigation.