If you don’t know what they are or if you are required to have them, the phrases “Safety Committee” or “Safety Meeting” might make you uneasy as a small business owner. PIM Savvy and the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) are here to help you figure this out.

First, who needs a Safety Committee? It’s difficult to find, but according to Washington Administrative Code 296-800-130, businesses that employ 11 or more employees on the same shift at the same location are required to create a safety committee that is composed of members selected by the employer and others elected by the employees. In addition, the number of members selected by the employees must be equal or greater than the number of members selected by the employer.

Second, how often does the Safety Committee need to meet? Believe it or not, Washington State does not have a requirement for how frequently the committee needs to meet. But the committee is required to define how often, where, and when the meetings will occur.

Third, what does the Safety Committee do? The committee meets regularly and reviews a number of topics including safety and health inspection reports, accident investigations, accident and illness prevention programs. PIM Savvy will cover some of these topics in detail in later posts. In addition, official minutes must be taken and kept on file for one year.

Finally, what are you required to do if you don’t need to create a Safety Committee? Well, in this case, you probably need to have monthly safety meetings. Safety Committees are generally more effective for large companies and safety meetings are generally more effective for small businesses. The topic of safety meetings deserves its own breakout and will be the focus of a future blog post.

PIM Savvy is ready to help you with these and other topics individually over the phone, via online meetings, or in person at one of our workshops. We have safety and labor expertise to share with you and we can connect you with L&I. Not only that, these services are FREE!

Cheers!
PIM Savvy Inc.

Additional Resources:
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 296-800-130 for Safety Committees
L&I Guide to Workplace Safety in Washington State
L&I Guide to creating a safety program