Write the Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes serve as an official record of the safety committee’s discussions, decisions, and commitments. The safety committee Chair and Recorder should work together to write the final minutes immediately after the meeting.
Minutes Made Easy
Well-documented minutes ensure clarity, provide a reference for future meetings, and demonstrate compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements.
- Record Key Points: Capture the essence of the meeting, including:
- Topics Discussed: Summarize major discussion points, such as hazard inspection findings, incident reviews, or proposed safety program updates. For example, note if the committee reviewed a recent slip-and-fall incident and its root causes.
- Decisions Made: Document agreements or resolutions, such as approving a new training schedule or prioritizing a hazard correction. Be specific, e.g., "The committee approved a $5,000 budget for new PPE."
- Action Items and Assignments: List recommendations and tasks assigned during the meeting, including who is responsible and deadlines. For instance, "John Smith to install machine guards by July 1, 2025."
- Include Attendance: Record who attended the meeting, including committee members, guests, or management representatives. Note absences to track engagement and ensure quorum requirements are met. For example, “Present: Jane Doe (Chair), Mike Brown, Sarah Lee; Absent: Tom Clark.”
- Document Follow-Up Needs: Highlight items requiring further action or discussion at future meetings, such as unresolved hazards or pending management approvals. For example, “Awaiting management’s response on funding for new safety signage.”
- Practical Tips:
- Use a standardized template to ensure consistency and capture all necessary details.
- Write minutes promptly (within 24–48 hours) while discussions are fresh.
- Keep language clear and concise, avoiding jargon or unnecessary detail.
- If possible, designate a note-taker during the meeting to allow the Chair to focus on facilitation.
- Make necessary corrections in the layout, content, grammar, and spelling in the minutes.
- Be sure to clearly indicate those members who have been assigned responsibilities in the minutes.
- Include assignment completion or "drop-dead" dates for all assignments.
- Attach written recommendations that were developed.
- Attach management responses to previous recommendations.
- Attach incident/accident report summaries.
- Attach results of analysis, surveys, etc.
- Attach the hazard tracking log.
- Use the minutes to draft the next meeting's agenda.
The longer you wait to finalize the meeting minutes, the less able you'll be to accurately put down on paper what happened, who was assigned tasks, and associated time frames.
While your memory is fresh, be sure to review and edit the minutes with the help of the committee recorder (two brains are better then one!). Here are some tips to consider:
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
7-2. Why is it important to review safety committee meeting minutes soon after the meeting has been completed?
You forgot to answer the question!