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701 Effective Safety Committee Operations
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Key Training Topics

Each safety committee member should be adequately trained to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to fulfill their responsibilities on the committee.

New safety committee members need to be properly trained in how the committee operates.

New safety committee members should be initially instructed on four basic topics.

  • Safety committee vision, mission, and purpose: To best understand why the safety committee has been formed.
  • Safety committee meeting procedures, rules, and guidelines: How safety committee meetings are to be conducted.
  • Incident investigation and reporting: How to investigate incidents and accidents, and how to report them.
  • Hazard identification and control: How to identify and control hazards.

All safety committee members should eventually be instructed by a competent person so that they are able to participate in safety management system improvement activities. Below are some of the more important topic areas.

  • Safety regulations and compliance: OSHA safety regulations and employer compliance requirements.
  • Emergency response planning: How to develop and implement effective emergency response plans and how to communicate these plans to employees.
  • Safety audits and inspections: How to conduct safety audits, surveys, and inspections, and identify areas for improvement.
  • Behavioral safety: How to promote safe behavior and a culture of safety in the workplace.
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE): How to select and use appropriate PPE to protect against workplace hazards.
  • Ergonomics: How to identify ergonomic hazards in the workplace and reduce the risk of ergonomic injuries.
  • Workplace violence prevention: Includes training on how to identify and prevent workplace violence, and how to respond to violent incidents if they occur.
  • Psychosocial issues: How to recognize factors that cause excess stress and how to promote overall employee wellness.

Overall, safety committee training should cover a wide range of topics to ensure that committee members are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and address potential safety hazards in the workplace.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

4-3. Patricia is a new safety committee member. Which basic topic should she receive training on?