The Value of Safety Committees in Human Services Organizations

Author, Jack Marrs, Associate Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Human services organizations operate in challenging environments. Staff regularly work in close contact with individuals who may have physical, cognitive, or behavioral needs. This can involve lifting and transferring clients, managing unpredictable situations, or navigating unfamiliar environments. National data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that these situations elevate the risk of workplace injuries.

The BLS data confirms the healthcare and social assistance sector has some of the highest injury rates across all industries, with 4.5 nonfatal cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022. While some risk is unavoidable in this field, many of the most common injuries are preventable and that’s where safety committees can make a powerful impact.

Role of a Safety Committee

Safety committees are internal teams that meet regularly to discuss hazards, evaluate recent injuries and near misses, and implement steps to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. They often bring together staff and management from different departments to proactively create a formal structure for addressing workplace safety.

Organizations with engaged safety committees experience fewer claims, lower insurance costs, and stronger relationships with their employees. Safety committees are not just about checking a box, they help create a safe work environment in a way that becomes part of the organization’s culture.

Benefits of an Active Safety Committee

Having an active safety committee comes with several benefits that support both the organization and its employees. Some examples are:

• Fewer workplace injuries. One of the most significant benefits of having a safety committee is a reduction in workplace injuries. Over time, committees will begin to identify trends, like repeated lifting injuries or slips in common areas, and respond by recommending lifting trainings or suggest that employees need to wear nonslip shoes. When these improvements are implemented and reinforced, injury rates often decline significantly.

• Insurance savings. Insurance carriers pay close attention to how seriously an organization takes safety. An active safety committee that documents meetings, follows through on recommendations, and tracks results can improve underwriting outcomes when presented by the broker.

• Improved staff morale and retention. Employees like to feel heard. When staff see leadership taking action on safety issues they have raised, whether it is adding nonslip shoes, improving lighting, or increasing trainings, it fosters trust. And, in a field where burnout and turnover are high, trust matters.

• Regulatory compliance. Under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, employers are responsible for maintaining a workplace free from recognized hazards. A safety committee helps fulfill this obligation and can serve as documentation of due diligence during audits or inspections. In California and several other states, safety committees may also play a role in meeting state-specific requirements related to workers' compensation or injury prevention plans.

Best Practices for Human Services Settings

To be effective, a safety committee needs more than just good intentions. The most successful ones follow key practices:

• Balanced membership. Include management and frontline workers. Direct support staff often have the insight into daily risk and often have ideas to prevent injuries.

• Consistent meetings. Monthly or quarterly meetings keeps safety on the forefront of your mind. Sporadic meetings will not lead to lasting results.

• Review of incidents and near misses. Analyze both what went wrong and what almost went wrong. These near misses are also important to document and put steps in place so an injury does not occur in the future.

• Site walkthroughs. Physically inspecting locations can uncover hazards that are not easily visible on paper.

• Clear documentation. Keep meeting minutes, assign follow-ups, and track progress. This level of detail not only improves accountability, it can also support insurance or OSHA documentation if needed.

If you are just starting out, OSHA has a resources for effective health and safety committees along with many other state and national safety organizations.

For human services organizations, safety is more than checking a box, it is essential to long-term stability. Fewer injuries mean fewer claims, which leads to less disruption, and a stronger team. A well-run safety committee is a low-cost strategy that leads to a safer work environment and a cost savings outcome.

To learn more about how Rancho Mesa can support your safety committee’s efforts, contact me at (619) 486-6569 or jmarrs@ranchomesa.com.

Taking Your Safety Program to the Next Level: Form a Safety Committee

Author, Daniel Frazee, ARM, CRIS, Executive Vice President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

"The committee must be prepared to promote the #1 goal of any organization…accident prevention."

Establishing a safety committee within your company will enhance the effectiveness of your safety program by identifying hazards and appropriate controls, implementing specific measures, developing clear safe work practices and communicating clearly through all levels within your organization.  

As your company looks to build a new committee or perhaps re-build an existing committee, consider the following as some more specific responsibilities that the group can develop:

• Promoting the importance of accident prevention
• Setting attainable goals for safe work practice
• Building a safety program that is a constant work in progress with regular updates and performance evaluation among departments
• Learning root causes through accident investigation 

The committee must be prepared to promote the #1 goal of any organization…accident prevention. Employers want their employees to go home every evening to their loved ones. That goal has to permeate through all ranks and be maintained as the culture from the top down.  With that as a primary goal, reasonable expectations have to be set for safe work practices that allow the company to maintain their level of productivity.  Best Practices dictates that the safety committee must be willing to constructively critique themselves, the safety program and each department with an objective eye toward constant improvement. Establishing root causes for both “near misses” and accidents without prematurely assigning responsibility to a specific person, can build a more open approach to tracing claim frequency and severity trends. This is the critical piece to learning from mistakes or actions to ensure similar events do not recur.

Some final points to consider for a more effective safety committee:

• Participants should encompass all divisions, departments, and levels within an organization.  A minimum of one representative/member from each part of the company should sit on the committee.
• Consider having more employees than supervisors which will build a more ground up approach from those people who know the day to day operations and tasks the best.
• Rotate the safety committee chairperson on a regular interval, whether that be every year or every other year.  This will allow opportunity for more people to have a voice and continually change the committee in a positive way.
•  Identify a clear schedule and recurring time/day for meetings throughout the year.  The chairperson should provide an Agenda in advance of meetings so members can prepare accordingly.  That chairperson should also recap each meeting with notes, review of recommendations, previous incidents, and/or trainings that have occurred.
• Include a representative from your insurance company’s loss prevention department to help provide perspective, resources and analysis.

Accept the challenge of taking your Safety Program to the next level, reduce your exposure to claims and improve both your risk profile and bottom line.  

Learn more by sending follow up questions to dfrazee@ranchomesa.com.

Additional Resource
“Safety Committee Development: Consider the time required, the budget, needed, and the desired outcomes, and then facilitate the committee’s efforts using these triple constraints as boundaries,” by Michael E. Bingham, Occupational Health & Safety, www.ohsonline.com.