Health and Safety Committee – Measuring Effectiveness

Extract of an article from: OSH Answers: Joint Health & Safety Committee – Measuring Effectiveness.

How does the committee measure its effectiveness?

In order to improve its efforts, a health and safety committee will want to have some measure of its past performance. In this way, weak areas can be strengthened and strong areas maintained. Although an improved health and safety record might be considered the most important measure, the question is not necessarily an easy one to answer. Having clearly defined its purpose and identified specific duties, the committee can audit its work against the following parameters.

Links to specific questions:

How does the committee measure its effectiveness?
Do the workers know who members of the committee are?
Are the duties and authority of members known to the workers?
Is the committee seen by workers as being useful in providing leadership in safety?
Is the committee perceived by management as correctly meeting its responsibilities and authority?
Do line supervisors see members as a barrier to worker/supervisor communication in safety?
Do employees perceive the committee as reducing management’s responsibility for maintaining a safe workplace?
Are members perceived as enforcers or advisors?
Do workers make suggestions to committee members?
Does management representation on the committee reflect its strong commitment to safety?
Does management fully support committee activities by providing comprehensive information, time, facilities, and training?
In a unionized workplace, what support does the union provide to its members on the joint committee?
What proportion of members’ time during paid work hours is spent on health and safety activities?
How many committee recommendations have been implemented?
When a recommendation is not implemented are the full reasons given to the committee?
Is the full record of committee recommendations, their implementation, and reasons for non-implementation available to all workers?