The health and safety committee’s purpose is to provide workers and employers with an oppor- tunity to meet and discuss workplace health and safety issues. The committee provides a means for identifying and formulating solutions for the prevention of hazardous work conditions and establishes a mechanism to permit employee representation in the decision-making processes, to have concerns expressed and addressed, and to represent the diversity in the workplace. The members of the committee should reflect the demographics of the workforce, including management and employee representation. Members should be enthusiastic volunteers from various departments within the company and should be willing to serve for at least 1 year. A chairperson should be selected as coordinator or leader of the committee and should delegate responsibilities for subcommittees or members to meet established goals and objectives. Union representation might be a critical factor, and the committee should be established in accor- dance with contract guidelines, as indicated. An active committee represents one of the essential components of OSHA’s Effective Safety and Health Guidelines, the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) recognition award, and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z10. An effective safety and health program is based on a systems approach to safety and not reliant on compliance. Approval into the VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health. The key components for a systems approach include management commitment and leadership, employee involvement, hazard identification and control, training, and evaluation. All safety and health committee members are instrumental in this process. Goals and objectives should be formulated to guide the committee toward measurable outcomes and to evaluate the committee’s overall effectiveness. Goals should be established based on company policy, potential worksite hazards, available company resources, employee time com- mitment, and community resources. The committee meetings should be well organized, and an agenda should be followed to ensure a productive meeting focused on the objectives to include: ● Conduct an overall evaluation of past safety and health programs and effective components already established. ● Review current and potential hazards through a complete worksite analysis. ● Educate committee members on the purpose and goals of the committee and health and safety issues they will be addressing. ● Develop an overall mission statement based on the company mission and establish measur- able objectives for the year. ● Establish evaluative outcome measures, as recommended by the committee, and evaluate cost effectiveness (e.g., reduced number of injuries, decreased lost-time incidents, and safer, more productive behaviors). ● Develop a written plan and review it periodically. ● Identify items to be discussed during the scheduled meetings (including timelines) and dis- tribute the agenda prior to the meeting. 250 Definition and Purpose Program Objectives and Elements Health and Safety Committee