601 Essentials of Occupational Safety and Health

Safety Involvement

The best safety programs occur when everyone shares responsibility for their personal safety. For that to happen, all employees must know they are helping to develop a program. Employees at all levels should be actively involved in finding and correcting safety and health problems. In other words, effective safety and health programs involve the employee who has a stake in its success.

One of the best ways to involve employees is through active participation as a member of a safety committee. A safety committee is a group of employees representing labor and management, who are responsible for promoting workplace safety and health. Employees can volunteer to be part of the committee, or they can be nominated by their co-workers.

Below is a list of examples of employee involvement in a safety and health program.

• Employees help review and improve the program.
• Employees take safety education and training classes. They can identify hazards and suggest how to eliminate or control them.
• Employees volunteer to participate on the safety committee.

Employee participation means they are encouraged to participate fully in the safety and health program. That includes the review and investigation of injuries and illnesses, periodic workplace inspections, regular safety and health meetings, and recommendations to the employer with respect to the administration of the program elements. Effective employee involvement includes the right of employees to ask for outside opinions and information on safety and health questions that are related to the workplace.

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