Employee involvement Central Safety

One easy way of finding out what trips an employee s creative trigger is simply to ask the employees and their families for their ideas and input. Involving the family with the quasi-family of employees in achieving the central and universal goal of safety will yield results. Remember, safety and loss prevention professionals want employees to think before they take risks in the workplace. What better way to make employees think about safety than to have their families involved and by supporting their safety efforts. 

A strong central structure can have an organizational culture that readily reinforces the safety process at all locations. The organization may have a general culture that espouses a participative style. This style is ideal to enhance the safety culture as it can increase employee involvement in the safety management system. 

Ad-hoc committees are formed to complete specific projects and are limited to a specific time frame. One of the concerns that has been expressed about safety committees is that a number of employees do not want to become involved in committees that are long term. However, as projects are developed by the central safety committee, short-term projects appeal to different employees having different expertise and experience. Some employees may like the central committee, where they can use their skills in administration and organizing. Other employees may join an ad-hoc committee on a topic of interest. 

A member of the central safety committee should be designated to guide and administer the JHA process. This person would use cross-functional ad hoc teams to develop and maintain diversity and expertise for development of a portfolio of JHAs. The JHA ad hoc teams would develop specific JHAs based on the risk assessment list developed using the risk guidance card. They would draw on experience and expertise of employees and supervisors in the department or area where the job resides. Refer to Chapter 8, Getting Your Employees Involved in the Safety Management System . 

Use a charter to clearly define how they will operate and use the JHA process. The charter should be authorized by the leadership team as approved by the central safety committee. Refer to Chapter 8, Getting Your Employees Involved in the Safety Management System and Appendix O. 

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