Forklift Safety by Committee Produces Tangible Results

The people who know the most about the safety hazards at your business are those on the front lines of your organization every day. But how do you transform their knowledge into action?

By forming a safety committee and giving it the tools to make real change in your operations.

Safety Committee — Getting Started

A safety committee is a volunteer group that is charged with identifying safety issues, developing solutions, and communicating positive changes to the people who can do something about it. Typically, it is composed of a cross-section of the organization including executives, middle management, and front-line employees.

To form an effective safety committee at your business, the first step is to communicate the committee’s purpose and then ask for volunteers. It’s a good idea to identify one or two leaders in each tier or your business and encourage them to participate.

Make sure your safety committee represents the variety of your organization, including people of different job titles and backgrounds. This will help bring a fresh perspective to genuine safety issues within your business as well as help spark new ideas on how to improve things.

Safety Committee — Next Steps

Once your safety committee has been created, the next step is to set them to work fixing problems. Meetings should be held on a regular basis, such as monthly or every two weeks, and should include an actionable agenda.

One of the most important parts of safety committee meetings is listening to ideas on how to improve safety. Meetings should be run by a designated chairperson who makes sure the committee is staying on topic, is following its own pre-determined ground rules, and that all members are being treated respectfully.

Setting a time limit on meeting lengths can help keep the conversation moving forward and keep the committee on track toward real progress.

Safety Committee — Keep It Fun

Serving on the safety committee should be something your employees want to do, rather than just another obligation. Keep it positive by asking committee members themselves how to make meetings more lively, by inviting the occasional guest speaker, or by scheduling meetings off-site, such as at a nearby restaurant or park or rotating meeting sites at different business locations.

To keep your safety committee’s ideas fresh, rotate members according to a regular schedule, such as one- or two-year terms.

By recognizing the ideas of employees from throughout the ranks of your organization on how to improve safety, your business can make a genuine positive change that can improve operations, reduce the risk of injuries, and even save lives.