Do you have a hard time getting team members to join your safety committee? Are you looking for ways to motivate or get them involved? Well…I have a few ideas! First, we need to find the “why” for our team. Why do they or should they participate? Do they want change? Do they want to get involved or be involved in decision making? Or do they just want overtime?!!
The “why” may be different for many team members but you can focus on a few things to get them interested. I have led many safety committees over the years and found there are a few common things that will make and maintain a strong and active safety committee. One main thing is to have an active engaged team that gets things done! But…how will you do it? Start by asking team members why they participate, or maybe why they don’t participate, in the safety committee. In my experience, team members don’t want to be part of a losing team or one that is not respected by others.
Establish clear agendas, ground rules, and expectations to get started. Explain what the committee is and isn’t. Take notes and publish the notes! Other team members can see what is being discussed, what action is being taken, and the activities the team is taking part in.
Start each meeting with an activity, something fun, or an engaging discussion. Share a story of a serious incident that occurred and ask for comments and feedback. Host an activity, such as playing a game with altered PPE to see if the team members can still perform their best with damaged PPE. Share an OSHA citation and discuss ways the company involved could have avoided the situation. Engaging team members immediately in the meeting gets their attention and keeps them interested in the content of the meeting!
And most of all, have some fun! Workplace Safety does not have to SUCK! Bring in treats, share stories, watch a safety fail video, but mostly…have fun with your safety committee!
Need a cool notebook for your safety committee members to take notes? Find them here.
Exactly!