DO YOU HAVE A HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE?

A Primer for Creating and Maintaining a Health and Safety Committee

I.                   Who Must Have a Health and Safety Committee?

The Workers’ Compensation Commission requires each employer with 25 or more regular employees at a single work site, or in the aggregate, to have a Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Committee.  Only employees physically located in Connecticut count towards this number, and temporary and seasonal workers are not included in the count.  There are also certain situations where an employer with fewer than 25 employees must establish a Committee.  A single centralized Committee may be created for work sites with fewer than 25 employees or where employees do not report to work at a fixed location.  Any employer whose rate of work-related injuries and illnesses exceeds the average incidence rate (federal OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time employees) of all industries in Connecticut, must also have a Committee.

II.        Purpose and Composition

The purpose of the Committee is to bring employers and employees together in a cooperative and non-adversarial effort to promote health and safety at each worksite.

a) Committee Membership and Composition.

Reasonable efforts should be made to ensure that Committee members are representative of the major work activities at the work site.  Of the members, at least 50% should be employee members and the remaining members should represent the employer.  There should be a minimum of four (4) total members.  Each member of the Committee shall be compensated at his/her regular rate of pay for all time spent on Committee activities.

            b)  Selecting Committee Members.

The employer can appoint its members, but the employees must be allowed to choose their own non-managerial members.  The employer should send an e-mail, utilize a payroll stuffer and/or post a notice to all non-managerial employees explaining that members of the Committee are needed, representing each major work activity.  This should determine if any employees are interested in membership on the Committee. 

·        If no one is initially interested in joining the Committee, another request for volunteers should be made; if that fails to produce any volunteers, qualified employees should be asked individually to fill the positions.

            c) Selecting a Committee Chair.

Once a Committee has been assembled, a chairperson should be elected by the Committee members at the first meeting.  The role of the chairperson is to chair Committee meetings.  Larger organizations (e.g., hospitals) may wish to consider co-chairpersons.  The Committee should consider alternating chairs from year to year or from meeting to meeting.

III.             Committee Meetings

a) Frequency.

Meetings should be held at least once every 3 months.  There is no minimum or maximum time for the meetings, but all required topics discussed below must be addressed.

                        b) Required Topics for Meetings.

Required topics must be discussed at each meeting.  If there are no issues to be covered under a particular topic, the minutes should indicate that the topic was mentioned but there were “no issues.”  To ensure that all topics are discussed at each meeting, there should be a written agenda of each meeting containing each of the following topics:

1) Review and investigation of any employee accidents, injuries, illnesses, deaths, or other safety incidents at the workplace;

2) Evaluation of accident and illness prevention programs.  Review of any prevention programs proposed or currently in effect;

3) Safety Inspections.  Discussion of any inspections of the workplace following injuries or preventive inspections, either planned or completed;

4) Safety Training Programs.  Establish a training or counseling program (e.g., EAP) to assist Committee members in understanding and identifying the risks of drug and alcohol use on workplace safety and monitor implementation;

5) Hazard Identification and/or Workplace Exposure Programs.  This must include establishing training programs for identifying and reducing hazards in the workplace that may damage the reproductive system(s) of employees.  If you already have such procedures, they should be incorporated and noted in the minutes; and

6) Follow-up Procedures for Open Safety Items.  If you already have such procedures, they should be incorporated and noted in the minutes.

IV.              Recordkeeping

A file for Committee records should be created and maintained, and all Committee records should be retained for at least 3 years and shall be made available for inspection by the Workers’ Compensation Commission upon its request.

a) Master List.

The employer should create a master list consisting of the names and departments of each Committee member and this list must be posted on a bulletin board or other location where all employees have access to it.  A copy can be posted at the location where the employer posts its other employment information.  A copy of the list, identifying the date and locations it was posted, should be kept in the Committee file.

b) Agenda.

The Committee should have a written agenda for each meeting containing each of the topics set forth in III (b) above.  The Agenda for the first meeting should also include an item for the election of the Committee chair to conduct the meetings.  After the first meeting, the Agenda should also include an item for approval of the previous meeting’s minutes.  Copies of each Agenda should be kept in the Committee file.

c) Minutes.

The Committee shall keep written minutes of the meetings.  The minutes must include:  1) a record of who attended each meeting; 2) the topics discussed; 3) all suggestions and recommendations made; and 4) assignments to correct any safety issues.  Copies of the minutes should be kept in the Committee file.

V.                 Training

Committee members must be trained as Committee members.  This can be accomplished in three ways:  1) A training review of the regulations for Safety Committee so that the members understand the mission, purpose and goal of the Safety Committee; 2) A training review of the company’s safety policies and procedures; or 3) A review of OSHA safety requirements for the employer.