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Safety committee
Domain: Health and safety at work => Professional figures and company committees
Grammatical category
Noun phrase
Grammar notes
Countable
Definition
A committee established by the employer, made up of employee and management representatives, the aim of which is to promote co-operation and keep under review the measures taken to ensure the health and safety at work of the employees. The employer has a duty to set up such a committee not later than three months after receiving a written request from at least two safety representatives.

Composition and structure The membership and structure of safety committees should be settled in consultation between management and the trade union representatives, and should aim at an adequate representation of the interests of management and of all the employees, including safety representatives. The number of management representatives should not exceed the number of employee representatives. Management representatives should not only include those from line management but such others as work engineers, personnel managers and supervisors. In undertakings where a company doctor, nurse, occupational hygienist or safety officer/adviser is employed, they should be ex-officio members of the safety committee. Other company specialists, such as project engineers, chemists, organisation and method staff and training officers might be co-opted for particular meetings when subjects on which they have expertise are to be discussed.

Functions
Within the general objective of promoting co-operation between employers and employees in investigating, developing and carrying out measures to ensure the health and safety at work of the employees, certain specific functions are likely to be defined which could include:
1) the study of accidents and notifiable disease statistics and trends, together with recommendations for corrective action;
2) examination of safety audit reports, and of other reports and information provided by safety representatives and inspectors of the enforcing authority;
3) assistance in the development of works safety rules and safe systems of work;
4) a watch on the effectiveness of the safety content of employee training and of safety and health communication and publicity in the workplace;
5) providing a link with the appropriate enforcing authority;
6) conducting inspections in certain circumstances, in addition to those already the duty of the employer.

Other information
The employer shall post a notice stating the composition of the committee and the workplace or workplaces to be covered by it in a place where it may be easily be read by employees.
Safety committees should meet as often as necessary. The frequency of the meetings of the safety committee will depend on the volume of business, which in turn is likely to depend on local conditions, the size of the workplace, numbers employed, the kind of work carried out and the degree of risk inherent. Agreed minutes should be kept and circulated to committee members; relevant safety representatives; the senior executive responsible for health and safety; and adequate copies displayed or made available by other means.
Definition source
Jones 2003, adapted from "Safety representatives and safety committees", Third edition 1996, L87, HSE Books; Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, and relative Guidance Notes.
European legislation
Directive 89/391/EEC
British legislation
Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
Concept diagram
It
Fr
De
Translation proposal It
Comitato per la sicurezza sul lavoro
Reliability code It
1
Translation proposal De
Sicherheitsausschuss
Reliability code De
1