- Put progression before perfection at the start. When creating a safety committee, begin the process with immediate and long-term goals, but be careful about aiming too high initially.
- Embrace variety. Workplaces consist of employees with varied positions and backgrounds. Ensure your safety committee follows suit by including a mix of your organization’s labor force and management.
- Develop a basic curriculum. Be prepared to provide training and materials to boost committee members’ knowledge and recognition of workplace safety and health hazards, as well as ways to avoid and prevent them.
- Plan meetings ahead of time. Develop meeting agendas a few days in advance and distribute them so committee members can prepare. Part of the agenda should include setting a time limit for the entire meeting as well as for each agenda item. Monitor how meetings adhere to these limits.
- Maintain a reasonable rotation among committee members. Ideally, the committee will be made up of volunteers rather than appointed or selected members.
- Don’t be boring. Suggestions include opening meetings with personal reflections or exercises before the traditional reading of minutes; using occasional guest speakers; and scheduling some meetings at a nearby restaurant, museum or park. Professional decorum still applies, of course.
- Occasionally look outward. Just getting your brain thinking differently. That’s exactly what it is. They’re going to have a different mind-set and approach than you will. Plus, it’s more interesting for the committee members when they do that kind of stuff. Plus, it’s not hard to do.
