MEET WITH EMPLOYEES

* Meet with employees in one large group (if not unwieldy) or in groups by shift or craft, depending on the nature of your worksite.

* Explain the safety and health policy of your worksite and the objectives that you hope to achieve.

* Explain that you want employees to help with the safety and health program.  Ask for their suggestions.

* Try to use as many of the reasonable suggestions as possible in some visible way.

FORM A COMMITTEE

* Form a joint committee.  It should be large enough to represent different parts of your worksite without becoming unwieldy.

* Try to have equal numbers of management and non-supervisory employees on the committee.

* Choose management members who have enough "clout" to get things done.

* Ensure that the safety and health staff serves as staff for the committee.

* If your worksite has collective bargaining agent allow that organization to decide the method for choosing non-supervisory members.

* If your worksite is not unionized, consult with a qualified labor relations professional on the best way to obtain employee participation if you decide to use a committee.

HOW TO USE INVOLVED EMPLOYEES

* Employers most commonly involve their employees in the workplace safety and health program by having them conduct regularly scheduled, routine physical inspections.  Employees work from a checklist.

- Employees will need adequate and appropriate training.

- They should be expected to help with decisions about hazard correction as well as hazard identification.

* You also may choose to ask the committee to study one or two difficult safety and/or health problems that management has been unable to resolve.  If so, you must demand serious work and, in return, give the committee’s suggestions serious consideration.

* Once the committee is well established and functioning successfully it will be in a position to suggest other ways to involve your workforce usefully in the safety and health program.

* Always remember that it is the employer who has ultimate legal responsibility for ensuring workplace safety and health.