We all have parts of our jobs that are more challenging than
others. For roofing contractors, it would be understandable if
safety were high on that list. For one, federal and state
occupational safety and health regulations not only can be
burdensome but also difficult to understand and apply. Furthermore,
getting employees to understand—let alone comply—with a
company's safety program is yet another hurdle to ensuring a safe
workplace.
But there may be a way to increase your safety program's
success: Create a safety committee. NRCA believes companies with safety
committees tend to have lower accident and injury rates than those
without one. And setting up a safety committee is not
difficult.
"A safety committee is one of the best tools to instill in
workers an awareness of their critical roles in the prevention of
workplace injuries," says Harry Dietz, NRCA's director of risk management. "It
strengthens accountability among all levels within a company to
help establish and support a sound safety culture."
A safety committee should include at a minimum an owner, senior
management representative, middle management representative and
field staff. All members should have the chance to direct the
committee's activity and have equal voice to express concerns and
ideas for improvement. The committee should meet monthly and
discuss what is and is not working. A safety committee encourages
and empowers employees to challenge current practices, ask for help
and provide feedback. The committee also can help analyze hazards
and...
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