Introduction If you have a safety committee, it's likely you'll have regular meetings. The challenge is to make meetings effective so that the outcome of the meeting ultimately adds value to the product or service produced. Thoughtful preparation by the safety committee chairperson is essential in making sure the meeting is successful.

• How am I personally prepared for the meeting?
• Is the agenda well-written and distributed?
• Does everyone know when and where we will hold the meeting?
• Are the location and meeting room suitable?
• Is the recorder prepared to take minutes?

• to insure that important business is not over-looked
• to remind people of the meeting
• to help members identify important items and prepare to discuss them
• to help members focus on issues, to contribute and to feel a sense of progress

• Welcome and Call to Order
• Introductions of new representatives and guests
• Review of last meeting’s minutes for addition or corrections
• Review agenda items/topics for discussion
• Old business: items not covered or resolved during the last meeting
• New business: items the committee needs to address or resolve
• Employee suggestions
• Safety concern reports
• Formal observation program reports
• Survey/interview summaries
• Safety program reports
• Inspection reports
• Accident Investigation Reports
• OSHA 300 Log Report
• Training.
• Recommendations to management
• Next meeting – date, location, and time

• About a week or so before the meeting, send an e-mail or personally contact members to request agenda items. Ask them to contact you no less than two days before the meeting with their request and the amount of time they will need to present it.
  
  
• Once you have received all of the agenda requests, summarize them in a table format with the headings Agenda Item, Presenter and Time. It's the safety committee chairperson's job ensure that each agenda item is directly related to the goals of the meeting.



• Send the agenda to all members the day before the meeting with a reminder of the meeting goals, location, time and duration. Ask members with agenda items if they are happy with the order in which they will be speaking and the amount of time they have been allocated.



• Key items should be placed early on in the agenda. Think about prioritizing agenda items in declining order of importance. Leave some time at the end of each item for summary and agreement on actions.



• The early part of a meeting is usually the most lively and creative. Plan activities requiring more energy and clear heads during the first part of the meeting. An item of great interest to everyone might be scheduled for 15 to 20 minutes into the meeting to avoid the attention lag that typically occurs at this point.



• Put time limits on agenda items to help focus on problem solving and decision making. Allot the most time to major items. Estimate how long each item will take factoring in time for discussion. Consider how long your total meeting should be. It's better to schedule 50 minutes of discussion into an hour time slot to ensure 10 minutes to spare.
  
  Don't too many agenda items into an hour meeting. Members expect to be finished in an hour. When meetings go over time, they generally tend to get uneasy. If you get done a little early, members will be pleased. Keep in mind that problem-solving and other forms of critical thinking requires more time than typically allowed for in meetings, especially if a subject might be controversy. Include time for opportunities to voice opinions, ask questions, and explain reasons behind positions to ensure consensus is achieved. Don't take shortcuts.



• Review the agenda at the start of the meeting to make any additions, deletions or revisions. Adjust the length of the meeting, or cut back on what you expect to accomplish. Make sure everyone know how long the meeting will last.

• Location. Some committees find it most effective meeting away from the workplace so members are not as likely to be distracted by other work issues. A quiet, comfortable meeting room is best.



• Access. Be sure you coordinate access to the room. You don't want to show up with the door locked and no one available to give access.



• Room. The size and shape of the table, and the seating arrangement is important too. Make sure everyone can easily see each other. Windows are desired, as long as the outside is not to interesting. Committees up to 12 members could easily meet around a table. For a larger group, tables placed in a U-shape work well. All members should have easy visual and spatial access to the chairperson.



• Lighting. Try to make sure direct glare from windows or overhead lights isn't a problem. Try to have control over lights. You don't want a situation where all the lights are out when showing a video or slides.



• Noise and acoustics. You don't want to conduct the meeting where interruptions might be frequent; for example meetings usually don't work in the lunch room or noisy part of the plant. Don't meet in a huge room with lots of echo.



• Temperature. Too hot or too cold is always distracting. It's best to keep the room on the slightly cool side so people are not as likely to be hot or sleepy.



• Air quality and ventilation. A humid, moldy, unventilated room is usually uncomfortable and distracting.



• Seating. It's always important to have comfortable chairs. Be sure to allow for adequate personal space between members when arranging seats.



• Writing materials. Be sure you bring pencils and writing pads.



• Rest rooms and exits. Review availability of rest room and emergency procedures.



• Refreshments. Goodies during the meeting is always a good idea. It sends a positive message about commitment from management. Light refreshments, especially coffee or other beverages can help sustain energy levels.



• Audiovisual equipment. Be sure the required equipment, outlets, and cords are available. Visual aids assist in making visionary dialogue more concrete.

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