Training

• Training and education are essential. First and foremost, the committee members should be adequately trained in OSHA regulations, workplace safety and injury prevention so that they can educate their fellow workers. Ideally, the committee should represent all types of employees, from upper management to the mail room.
  
  

Policy Development

• One of the main functions of the committee is to develop a company-wide safety policy and policy manual. Policies, goals and objectives should be communicated clearly to employees with management support. The manual should include safety goals and objectives, results of the hazard analysis, strategies to prevent injuries and illness, the procedure for employees to report hazards and potential hazards, emergency response system procedures, incident reporting procedures and all necessary forms.
  
  

Hazard Analysis

• One of the first tasks of a workplace safety committee is to conduct a "job hazard analysis." Developed by OSHA, this is a tool that can be used to prevent accidents and illness by identifying potential hazards. Depending on the nature of the job, hazards can be ergonomic, chemical, electrical, heat- or fire-related, mechanical, falls, radiation or weather-related. Once potential hazards are identified, the safety committee implements strategies to minimize and control them.
  
  

Prevention and control

• The health and safety committee can prevent accidents and control hazards by ensuring that there is a process for the maintenance of equipment and vehicles; providing training in the use of protective gear or equipment; implementing live drills so that employees have the opportunity to practice; and ensuring that management receives adequate training in recognizing and preventing workplace hazards.
  
  

Benefits

• Accidents and injuries cost companies money. According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, the cost one day of work lost due to illness or injury is considerable when taking into account the production time lost by the injured employee, worker's compensation costs and other indirect factors such as time to train replacement(s). A workplace Health and Safety Committee can help identify potential hazards, develop strategies and policies based on OSHA regulations to reduce them, and most important, empower fellow employees to play a role in workplace safety and health. Ultimately, this adds up to savings for the company.