No. 1 THE INITIAL SAFETY MEETING

Some things to know before you give the talk:

Some employees feel that safety meetings are a waste of time. Some employees may not attend the meeting and some employees will not actively participate in a meeting. Here’s what needs to be told to employees:

The company is genuinely concerned about employee safety and health in the workplace. Every employee is valued company asset. Employees are expected to be at work on time, capable of performing their job tasks, and performing in a safe manner. Those employees who do not show an active interest in the Company policies relating to employee safety and health will be appropriately counseled or disciplined.

How well the employees are receptive to the safety meeting will be based on three things:

· The time of the meeting,

· The topic of the meeting,

· How the requirement to attend the meeting is presented.

For this reason, meetings should be well announced in advance, employee attendance and participation required and every employee reminded about the meeting the day before the event.

Be sure to choose a meeting place that is adequate and affords no interruptions.

Keep your meeting to no less than five minutes and no longer than twenty minutes.

Employees are more receptive to talks that are informal, rather than “canned” or read. Read the subject matter to be discussed, and then formulate your discussion points.

If you choose to select someone else to conduct the meeting, give him or her a week’s advanced notice to prepare for the meeting.

The moderator for the meeting must make sure that he or she maintains control over the meeting. Tell everyone at the beginning of the meeting how long the meeting will last and stick to the topic and time schedule announced. (There is nothing worse than a long safety meeting that is not relevant. Value the employee’s time, especially if they are attending the meeting on their normal time off from work). Some employees will want to be more actively involved in discussions than others and it is not fair that one employee dominate a discussion. It also helps to let everyone know that they will be asked a question in the meeting and that their active participation is expected when they are called upon.

What to discuss in the initial meeting:

Safety meetings are a useful tool to help prevent work-related accidents. Each employee is a valuable asset to the company. We (the Company) suffers a tremendous loss when an employee is hurt at work. It does not matter if you are the person who mops the floor or the person who manages the payroll. Every individual has a unique role to play in the business. Without hard-working employees who are willing to work all types of hour and days, the business would not be able to conduct business.

Work injuries are costly in several ways:

1) Loss of revenue (the employee may loose a portion of their wages)

2) The Company looses the abilities and skills of the employee while the employee recuperates

3) Insurance costs for the company get increased with each new occupational injury claim

4) The team effort may be diminished while other employees work twice as hard to make up for the lost employee

It is a good idea to read the Management Statement of the Company found in the front of the Safety Plan document. This statement should outline the reason for the Safety Plan as articulated by the senior management of the Company.

Why have a Safety Program? (“Top Ten” reasons to have an effective safety program)

1) History shows that accident prevention is not dumb luck, but the result of actual efforts.

2) Accidents are preventable.

3) Federal and state safety laws require employers to provide a safe and healthy working environment.

4) No wants to voluntarily be injured.

5) Safe places to work equate to fun places to work.

6) The owners and managers of the Company value the employees who work for the Company.

7) A pro-active safety program shows to the insurance company that the company is serious about accident prevention.

8) Without a safety program, employers cannot prove they have met their legal obligations to provide a safe and healthy workplace.

9) To standardize the Company safe work practices.

10) To give Managers one more task to worry about.

Who is responsible for the safety program implementation?

Every employee has a responsibility to work in a safe manner. No one Manager can make every worker do all job tasks in a safe manner. Managers and Supervisors should not have to micro-manage employees to make sure there is not an accident in the workplace. Managers and Supervisors do have a responsibility to insure employees are properly trained in their respective job tasks, and that each job task is performed safely. This means training and equipping employees so that job tasks can be safely performed.

Why is should an employee care about safety topics when they are presented?

1. The big looser in an accident is the victim. Human have not yet figured out a way to grow a replacement finger, or restore lost eyesight, or prevent pain and suffering.

2. If hurt at work, the injured worker will also hurt away from work.

3. Time away from work because of an injury could mean lost wages, which ultimately could affect an employee’s standard of living and ability to provide and meet obligations.

4. The safe worker is the efficient worker. An efficient worker is more likely to be a better producer and more recognized worker.

5. Employers expect employees to be on time to work, work productively and in a safe manner.

Questions to ask, to get employees talking:

· Do you feel like safety meetings can be productive? Why? Why not?

· Why is discussing safety important?

· How do we know when a safety program is not working?

· What do you expect a safety program should do for you?

· Why do we not designate one person to be responsible for the safety program?

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