Establishing an effective safety committee is a major positive towards implementing a formal safety program. Selecting committee members, establishing dates and meeting times, determining set topics to discuss, and maintaining an interest in safety are the real challenges to the success of the committee once established.

A firm commitment from top management is vital in the success of any safety committee. A policy statement or letter from the president of the company is needed to confirm that management is committed to a safe work environment.

Selection of committee members should include a comparable mix of management, supervisors, and employees. Typically, the safety director, human resources manager or the person directly in charge of the company's safety programs acts as leader or chairman for the meetings. Members should be rotated on a periodic basis (i.e., select new members after serving a 1-2 year term). The meeting times and dates should be consistent to develop a routine and allow members to adequately prepare for each meeting. To maximize effectiveness, meetings should be held monthly, or at the very least, on a quarterly basis. To reduce confusion as to meeting times or dates, something as simple as "the second Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m., in the training room" is clear and precise. Provide some form of refreshment (coffee and donuts) prior to the meeting to help in providing a relaxed, casual atmosphere.

Determine set topics for each meeting will keep meetings on track and provide a positive direction. Completing established topics or goals will provide the committee with a sense of accomplishment.

Some topics that should be considered at all meetings include:

A) A review or group discussion of accidents occurring the month prior to each meeting.

B) An injury review which includes interviewing or injured employee on the accident specifics and determining what action is needed to reduce the chance of a recurrence.

C) A plant inspection or inspection of a selected area in the plant, jobsite, etc.

D) Discuss compliance on suggestions for previous suggestions developed. Solicit input from all committee members.

E) Establish a suggestion box and encourage input from all employees for improvements in the plant. Offer a prize or incentive for the best suggestion as determined by the committee.

F) Assist the designated person in charge of safety with implementing a safety incentive program, or formal safety program. A formal safety program may include but not be limited to the following topics:

1. Hiring/training/orientation
2. Drug testing/monitoring
3. Accident investigations
4. Emergency action plan
5. Forklift training
6. Hazard communication program and training
7. Hearing conservation
8. Lockout/tagout program
9. Overhead crane inspection
10. Personal protective equipment
11. Power press safety training
12. Respirator protection
13. Sling/hoist inspection

G) Determine different topics for each monthly meeting. Some examples of topics and months may be:

JANUARY: Accident record for previous year - Review safety program - Promotional material -Safety signs.

FEBRUARY: First aid - Mechanical guarding - Cleaning machinery - Lubricating machinery - Safe clothing.

MARCH: New employee - Personal protective equipment - Hand tools - Portable power tools.

APRIL: CLEAN-UP MONTH - Housekeeping - Storage - Painting - Housekeeping around machines - Waste containers - Overhead cleanliness - Window washing - Illumination.

MAY: Experienced employee - Home safety - Highway safety - Vacation safety - Resuscitation

JUNE: Safety rules - Floors - Ramps - Platforms - Scaffolds - Ladders - Floor openings.

JULY: Accident record for first six months - Recommendations - Occupational disease -Ventilation - Sanitation - Heat.

AUGUST: Accident investigation - Plant inspection - Electrical hazards - Resuscitation.

SEPTEMBER: Job training - Manual handling - Mechanical handling - Power trucks - Highway vehicles.

OCTOBER: FIRE PREVENTION MONTH - Determination of hazardous operations - Fire extinguishers - Sprinkler systems - Hydrants and hose houses - Fire brigade - Fire control at source - Exits - Fire drills - Housekeeping

NOVEMBER: Supervisor activities - Safety suggestion systems - Cold weather hazards.

DECEMBER: Safety message from management - Chemicals - Pressure apparatus - Machinery maintenance program - Machine guards.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
JANUARY

A) Review the accident record of previous year.

1. Use of charts to show trends and types.
2. Discussion of Frequency and Severity Rates.
3. Comparison with Average Rates for industry, as published by National Safety Council.
4. Discussion of basic causes.
5. Review of First Aid records to study trend of minor injuries.

B) Complete review of safety program.

1. Plant activities.
2. Department activities.
3. Organizational make-up.
4. Need for strengthening or changing weak factors.

C) Review of promotional material.

1. Safety posters,
   • National Safety Council
   • Others
2. Letters from management to employee's homes.
3. Review of videos available.
4. Safety graphs.
5. Safety demonstrations.
6. Display of personal protective equipment - new and damaged.
7. Payroll inserts.
8. Safety signs.
   • Warning type - Wet floors, Low Bridge, High Voltage, etc.
   • Instruction type - No Smoking, Wear Goggles, Keep Out, etc.
   • Lock-Out tags.
   • Defective equipment tags.
   • Exit, Safety Zone, etc.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
FEBRUARY

A) First Aid

1. Adequate equipment, properly located.
2. Supervision of procedures.
3. Administering treatment.
   • Personnel - number and qualifications.
   • Methods
4. Training of First Aid personnel.
5. Coverage during all working hours, including overtime.
6. Red Cross training courses.
7. Posting of telephone numbers of doctors,
8. Stretchers.
   • Location
   • Properly trained personnel
9. Adequate direction signs posted showing location of infirmary and First Aid stations.
10. Hazards of self-treatment.

B) Mechanical Guarding

1. Point of operation.
   • Properly adjusted.
     • For each change in job.
     • For each change of operator.
   • Properly maintained.
   • Inspected with sufficient frequency, and report submitted where necessary.
   • Properly designed to give adequate protection with minimum interference.
   • Use enforced.
   • Manual lock-outs and signs.
2. Transmission
   • Adequate coverage of belts, gears, chains, clutches, couplings, oscillating mechanisms, etc.
   • Coverage of machine parts creating shear or nip exposures.
3. Proper clothing worn by employees.
   • No neckties or loose fitting clothing.
   • No rings or loose fitting jewelry.
   • Hair tied back or in hair nets.
   • No loose fitting gloves that may get caught in pinch points.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
MARCH

A) The New Employee

1. Orientation
   • Plant policies.
   • General plant safety rules.
   • First aid procedures.
   • Reporting of accidents.
     • Requiring doctor's attention.
     • Minor
     • Off-the-job.
       • Reporting to supervisor of unsafe conditions.
       • Introduction to supervisor.
2. On the job training.
   • Job processes taught by the supervisor or trainer.
     • Explaining.
     • Demonstrating.
     • Letting employee do it.
     • Checking.
       • Periodic check for adequate length of time.
       • Additional training for any change of job or change in operation.
       • Departmental safety rules.
       • Job safety rules.

B) Personal Protective Equipment

1. Use and care of goggles, respirators, gloves, aprons, boots, etc.
2. Safety shops.

C) Hand Tools

1. Maintenance by employee and by tool room.
   • Sharp cutting edges.
   • Square edges, parallel jaws on wrenches.
   • Safe, tight handles.
   • Square edges on screw driver blades.
   • Proper carrying facilities.
     1. Tool boxes.
     2. Belts, sheaths.
     3. Ladder racks.

D) Portable Power Tools

1. Instruction in proper use and hazards.
2. Maintenance.
3. Grounding of electrical equipment.
   • Three wire system throughout plant.
   • External ground wire.
   • Polarized plugs and receptacles, use of adapters.
4. Fire hazards of portable gas welding and plumbing equipment.
5. Instruction in proper use and hazards of power-actuated tools.
6. Reporting defects

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
SPRING CLEAN-UP MONTH
APRIL

A) Housekeeping.

1. Janitors' and porters' schedules and responsibilities.
2. Marked aisles and storage areas.
3. Temporary storage of parts in progress.
   • Tote boxes.
   • Bins.

B) Permanent storage.

1. Stacking.
   • Staggering layers.
   • Cross tieing.
   • Proximity to sprinkler heads.
   • Blocking fire fighting equipment.
   • Palletizing.
   • Use of mechanical stackers.
2. Floor loads.
3. Storage of skids and pallets.

C) Painting schedule - exterior, interior, and machines.

D) Housekeeping in immediate vicinity of machines and operations.

E) Waste cans.

1. Adequate number.
2. Proper type of contents.

F) Cleanliness of overhead beams, sills, ledges.

G) Window washing schedule.

H) Adequate illumination.

1. Proper
2. Cleaning and bulb replacement program.
3. Lighting of outside areas and platforms at night

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
MAY

A) Review of experienced employee.

1. Maintenance of equipment.
2. Job Methods
   • Unsafe practices.
   • Short cuts.
   • "Cheating" guard mechanisms.
3. Use of personal safety equipment.
4. Job attitude.
5. Qualifications for instructing new employees.

B) Home Safety

1. Examine each room for hazards.
2. The home workshop.
3. Hazards of house maintenance.

C) Highway safety.

1. Excessive speed.
2. Fatigue.
3. Automobile maintenance.

D) Vacation safety.

1. Sports
2. Sunburn & ivy.
3. Proper relaxation.

E) Artificial resuscitation for drowning, electrical shock, asphyxiation.

1. Prone - pressure method.
2. Holger - Hielson (arm-lift) method.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
JUNE

A) Safety Rules.

1. General plant.
2. Departmental.
3. Job.

B) Floors

1. Repair and replacement.
2. Cleaning methods, painting.
3. Tripping hazards.
4. Excessive loading.

C) Ramps and runways - permanent and temporary.

1. Adequate strength.
2. Properly secured.
3. Adequate hand rails and toe boards.
4. Non-skid surface.
5. Properly lighted.

D) Platforms.

1. Non-skid surface.
2. Adequate hand rails and toe boards.
3. Properly lighted.
4. Free of tripping hazard.

E) Ladders.

1. Permanent of fixed type.
   • Adequate strength.
   • Properly maintained.
   • Properly anchored.
2. Step ladders, platform type.
   • Properly maintained.
   • Properly used.
   • Condition of steps, side rails, platforms, tool racks, spreaders.
   • Safe storage.
3. Straight ladders, extension ladders.
   • Properly maintained.
   • Safe use of aluminum and magnesium ladders.
   • Condition of rungs, run fastenings, side rails, catches, ropes.
   • Safety feet.
   • Safe storage.
   • Repair and destruction procedures.
   • Replacement in some locations by permanent installation.
   • Cages.

F) Floor Openings.

1. Temporary or permanent.
2. Adequately protected.
   • Guard rails and toe boards.
3. Adequately lighted.
4. Warning signs, instructions.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
JULY

A) Review accident record for first six months.

B) Review outstanding recommendations.

C) Occupational disease exposures.

1. Check on all exposures.
2. Condition of protective equipment.
3. Effectiveness of protective methods (Exhaust, personal protection, shield, etc.)
4. Use of protective equipment.
5. Possibility of substitution of less harmful materials.

D) Ventilation

1. Roof ventilation.
2. Ventilation in hot areas.
3. Efficiency of exhaust systems.
4. Maintenance of air conditioning equipment.
5. Locker rooms.

E) Sanitation.

1. Around machines.
2. In restrooms.
3. Sterilization.
4. Lunch rooms, cafeterias, eating areas.
5. Locker rooms.

F) Heat Protection.

1. Cooled air.
2. Adequate ventilation.
3. Salt tablets.
4. Sweat bands.
5. Asbestos clothing.
6. Relief periods.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
AUGUST

A) Accident Investigation.

1. Sufficient use of written report.
2. Adequacy of report form.
3. Proper stress of:
   • Basic cause
   • Action taken to prevent recurrence.
4. Follow-through by foreman of recommendation.
5. Follow-through by management of recommendation.
6. Subsequent use of reports to study trends, outstanding unsafe conditions or practices.

B) Recommendations resulting from plant inspections.

1. Procedure of submitting recommendations.
2. Sufficient stress on unsafe practices.
3. Method of getting compliance.
4. Follow-through by supervisor to avoid excessive delay in compliance.
5. Follow-through by management on compliance.

C) Electrical Hazards

1. Protection of all lines, switch boards, transformer stations.
2. Condition of transformers on poles.
3. Adequate clearance of all overhead lines.
4. Protection and warning signs for trolley lines, conveyor lines, crane lines and overhead electrical busses.
5. Protection of all electrical lines and equipment against water.
6. Use of fuse-pullers.
7. Instruction in fire-fighting methods and extinguishers.

D) Review of Artificial Resuscitation.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
SEPTEMBER

A) Safety training on the job - Explain, demonstrate, let him do it, check and correct.

1. Periodic check of safe operating practices as employee develops experience.
2. Additional training for any change in job, methods, or material.
3. Safety rules.
   • Department rules.
   • Job rules.

B) Manual handling of material - Most frequent type of industrial accident.

1. Instruction in proper lifting methods.
2. Substitution of mechanical aids or lifting devices.
3. Condition of trays, tote boxes, barrels, other containers.
4. Adequate aisle space for transporting materials.
5. Knuckle guards on hand trucks.
6. Methods of stacking and of braking down stacks.
7. Use of gloves, palms, other protective equipment.
8. Proper maintenance of floors, ramps, runways for safe transporting of trucks and for safe carrying of loads.

C) Elevators, hoists, cranes, conveyors, trucks.

1. Instruction in the use of power-operated handling equipment.
2. Proper and sufficient inspection.
3. Efficient maintenance.
4. Written records of inspection and maintenance.
5. Guarding of exposed transmission.
6. Safe access to control areas.
7. Overloading, posting of rated capacities.
8. Properly trained and qualified operators.
9. Intelligent use of signals.
10. Guarding of hoistway entrances.
11. Proper storage of tackles, slings.
12. Safety hooks on hoists.
13. Safety devices and controls.

D) Industrial power trucks.

1. Inspection and maintenance.
2. Regular routing throughout plant.
3. Properly trained and qualified operators.
4. Warning signals.
5. Speed control.
6. Enforcement of safety rules.
7. Safe exhaust systems for gasoline trucks.

E) Highway vehicles.

1. Inspection and maintenance.
2. Properly trained and licensed drivers.
3. Speed governors.
4. Safe parking facilities on plant premises.
5. Qualification of vehicles for all local and ICC regulations that apply.
6. Accident records.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
OCTOBER

A) Determination of fire-hazardous operations and areas.

B) Hand and portable fire extinguishers.

1. Adequate number.
2. Proper type.
3. Properly located and indicated.
4. Clear area for easy access.
5. Adequate training in use.
6. Properly marked as to use.
7. Periodically inspected and recharged.

C) Sprinkler system.

1. Adequate inspection, testing, maintenance.
2. Sufficient replacement of heads in corrosive atmosphere.
3. Storage not to interfere with effective operation.
4. Adequate heads for complete coverage.

D) Control of hazardous operations at source.

1. Metal lids and fusible links on flammable dip tanks.
2. Automatic carbon dioxide systems where required.
3. Enforcement of rules for smoking and open flames.
4. Use of non-sparking tools in flammable areas.
5. Use of fireproof drop cloths and fire watcher for open flame maintenance and construction operations.
6. Vapor proof lights and fixtures.
7. Proper storage of flammable materials, chemicals, metals, paints, thinners, solvents.
8. Safety cans for flammable solvents.
9. Rules and signs for "No Smoking".
10. Control of static charges by humidifiers and grounds.

E) Plant exits.

1. Sufficient number from each floor.
2. Remotely located for complete coverage.
3. Clearly indicated.
4. Well lighted.
5. Adequate hand rails.
6. Safe treads on stairs.
7. Doors opening outward with non-panic hardware.
8. Free from all obstructions.

F) Fire Drills

1. Essential in plants using explosive or highly combustible materials.

G) Review of Plant Housekeeping.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
NOVEMBER

A) Supervisory activities.

1. Review of accidents in department.
   • Predominant causes.
   • Corrective action.
   • Trends.
   • General control of experience.
2. Maintenance throughout department.
3. Department housekeeping.
4. Fire fighting equipment.
5. First aid equipment, procedures, records.
6. Proper use of Accident Reporting Form.
7. Enforcement of safety rules.
8. Employee training.
   • Following progress of new employee.
   • Re-training where necessary.
   • Control of experienced employee.
   • Correcting unsafe practices.
   • Enforcement of discipline.

B) Safety suggestion systems.

1. Oral to supervisor.
2. Written.
3. Suggestion box.
4. Awards.
5. Contests.

C) Cold weather hazards.

1. Cleaning or sanding outside walkways, stairways, parking areas, platforms, routes of industrial trucks.
2. Prompt removal of icicles.
3. Non-skid protection for outside vehicles.
4. Maintenance of adequate plant ventilation with windows closed.

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MONTHLY SAFETY PROGRAM
DECEMBER

A) Discuss management commitment to safety.

B) Chemical handling.

1. Hazard communication program
   • update MSDS/Inventory checklist
   • training completed on all employees
   • sign-off on all employees.
2. Chemical storage procedures.
3. Personal protective equipment update.
4. Emergency chemical response in place.

C) Machinery Maintenance Program

1. Maintenance schedule for hydraulic presses.
2. Leaking lines, hoses, valves replaced.
3. Review maintenance programs.
4. Ventilation equipment on all fans, motors and ducts.

D) Machine Guards

1. Guards in place.
2. Broken guards repaired.
3. Additional areas where guarding is needed.

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