College of Arts and Sciences | College Safety
Chapter 26
Safety Committees & Meetings
A. Purpose
Safety committees provide a venue for communicating and evaluating workplace safety and health concerns identified by employees. The EHS/RMS safety committee is intended to represent all EHS/RMS employees on the WSU Pullman campus. All non-management EHS/RMS employees may attend safety committee meetings, a management representative will be present to ensure employee concerns are raised to the management level.
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B. References and Resources
- WSU (SPPM) 2.12 Unit Safety Committees and Meetings
- Washington Administrative Code Safety committees/safety meetings
- Washington State Department of Labor and Industry Safety Meetings and Committees
C. Safety Committee Structure
Membership
Non-management Representatives:
- Employees elect fellow workers to represent them on the committee.
- Employees elect committee members to serve for a one-year term. Members may be reelected by their peers. There is no limit on the number of terms to which employees may be reelected.
- Vacancies are filled by special election.
Management Representatives:
- The unit administration appoints at least one management representative to the committee.
- The number of management members may not exceed the number of non-management employee members.
Representation by Area
Mandatory Member List
Area | Number Reps | Expiration |
---|---|---|
Anthropology | 1 | August 15 |
Chemistry | 1 | August 15 |
Fine Arts | 1 | August 15 |
Institute for Shock Physics | 1 | August 15 |
Physics & Astronomy | 1 | August 15 |
School of Biological Sciences | 1 | August 15 |
School of the Environment | 1 | August 15 |
Technical Services | 1 | August 15 |
Volunteer Member List
Area | Number Reps | Expiration |
---|---|---|
Criminal Justice | 1 | August 15 |
Digital Technology and Culture | 1 | August 15 |
English | 1 | August 15 |
History | 1 | August 15 |
Mathematics and Statistics | 1 | August 15 |
School of Music | 1 | August 15 |
School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs | 1 | August 15 |
Psychology | 1 | August 15 |
School of Languages, Cultures & Race | 1 | August 15 |
Sociology | 1 | August 15 |
D. College & Departmental Safety Committee Functions
Safety meeting agendas must include the following activities:
- Review Levels 1 & 2 Safety Committee meeting minutes as requested by those committees.
- Assist unit supervisors in promoting or publicizing relevant safety and health topics (i.e., issues, policies, programs, training).
- Evaluate employee safety concerns, reported hazards, and suggestions, and proposing solutions.
- Assist unit supervisors in reviewing job or operating procedures and recommending improvements.
- Evaluate Incident Reports and Supervisor’s Accident Investigation Reports to determine causes/problems and recommending methods of prevention or solutions.
- Refer unresolved safety problems to the unit administrator.
- Evaluate the unit’s Accident Prevention Program and other applicable safety and health programs (e.g., Chemical Hazard Communication Program, Laboratory Safety Manual) and making recommendations to the unit administrator on improvements.
- Assist unit supervisors in coordinating and conducting annual safety self-inspections.
Optional meeting activities:
- Meeting annually with the unit administrator and supervisors to select projects based on their activities, potential hazards, accident history, and WSU policy requirements.
- Reporting progress on safety projects during safety committee meetings.
E. Documentation
Minutes
- The group appoints or elects a representative to document safety meetings.
- Every Safety Committee in the College must document the minutes of meetings.
- Committees may use the Safety Meeting Report and Agenda form on SPPM 2.12.4-5 or may create a report to document meetings.
Routing
- Safety Committees must route safety meeting reports to unit Chairs or Directors for signature.
- Departmental Safety Committees will submit signed meeting reports to:
- The Department by direct distribution to employees or by posting copies on safety bulletin board;
- The College Safety Committee by posting meeting minutes on the safety database in Teams.
Retention
- Every Safety Committee in CAS will maintain copies of safety meeting reports on file for at least two years, in accordance with University records retention requirements. (See BPPM 90.01.)