Subject

Facilities Services Safety Committee
SAFETY 89-1 (Rev. 5/95)

Purpose

To establish as part of a formal accident prevention program the structure and operation of a safety committee for all FS units.

Practice

Committee Structure. The Facilities Services Safety Committee consists of employee and management representatives with the employee representatives being elected annually in November by fellow employees. Administrative representatives are permanent, ex officio members of the Committee. It is strongly recommended that the representation of a shop be rotated throughout all employees in the shop to provide vitality and diversity to the Safety Committee and to strengthen each shop’s safety program. A list of the employee and administrative unit having representation on the Safety Committee is attached.

The Safety Administrator, Facilities Services, serves as facilitator to the Safety Committee and provides staff support to it, e.g., preparation and distribution of agendas, minutes, and other committee correspondence.

The Environmental Health and Safety Department and the University Police Department are encouraged to designate representatives to the Committee to enhance communication and problem-solving on issues of mutual concern.

Committee Operation At the December meeting, the Committee shall elect from employee representatives a chairperson for the coming year.

The Committee shall meet once a month at a date, time, and location established by the chairperson. Committee members are expected to attend all meeting or, in consultation with the unit supervisor, arrange for a substitute. Attendance will be recorded in the minutes.

The FS Safety Administrator will assist the Chairperson to develop the agenda for each meeting and will ensure that minutes are recorded, distributed to members and administrative units as necessary, and retained in official files for the Committee for a minimum of one year. The minutes shall identify items discussed, action taken or to be taken, and the designee responsible for each action item.

The Safety Administrator will facilitate action on items requiring administrative or budgetary support and work with other unit managers to resolve action items.

Committee Business Any kind of safety question or problem may be brought up at the Safety Committee. However, it is expected that anything that can be taken care of at the individual or unit level, by talking to a supervisor or calling in a work order, should be resolved at the lowest possible level.

Anyone may call the Work Order Desk to have work orders issued to repair broken windows, missing stair treads, lights out, holes in asphalt, tripping hazards, overgrown shrubbery, and other minor safety problems. When calling in a work order, it is important to indicate the urgency of the needed repair and that it is a safety issue. Sometimes it is helpful to report to the Safety Committee after action has been taken to solve a problem in order to inform others who may be interested in the same or a similar problem.

Broader procedural or philosophical safety issues may be placed on a meeting agenda by discussing in advance with the Committee Chair. Resource people from Facilities Services, or from elsewhere in the University, may be invited as necessary to provide information.

Resources

As questions and problems are brought up at a meeting, The Safety Representative from the appropriate unit often volunteers (or is assigned by the Chair) to follow up on the issue and report back to the Committee. These assignments are then listed under “Old Business” on the agenda for the next meeting.

WAC 296-800-130, 296-800-13020

Responsibility : Action

• Employee:

  • Help elect unit Safety Representative
  • Read Safety Committee minutes
  • Comply with safety and health regulations, and follow safe work practices.
  • Call in work orders for minor safety-related repairs

• Supervisor:

  • Ensure that Safety Representative is elected
  • Ensure that unit is represented at each meeting, etc.
  • Follow up on safety items not requiring Committee action.
  • Post Safety Committee meeting minutes in unit.

• Safety Representative:

  • Hold unit safety meeting at least monthly
  • Keep Safety Manual up to date
  • File agendas/minutes in Safety Manual
  • Pass on Safety Manual to successor
  • Attend Safety Committee meetings
  • Report back to work unit
  • Call in word orders for minor safety-related repairs

• Safety Administrator:

  • Call in word orders for minor safety-related repairs
  • Provide staff support to Safety Committee
  • Follow up on action items requiring administrative/budgetary support.
  • Advise Committee on new safety practices.
  • Maintain Safety Manual system.