Having A Safety Committee Is Critical

BY J. M. HAVNER

An active safety committee has the potential to be one of the most effective groups for helping to ensure firefighter safety in a fire department. The time invested in committee work can bring about positive changes for responder safety, and proactive safety committees can help keep our safety culture alive.

A strong and active safety committee should be the cornerstone of any fire department’s health and safety program. However, implementing a safety program alone is not enough. You must routinely evaluate the program’s effectiveness, or it will fail. A safety committee is a great fit for that evaluation role.

Unfortunately, committees are frequently perceived as time wasters and sluggish or unproductive in nature.

For a safety committee to be effective, several core elements are necessary, including the following: organizational support and leadership, strong commitment and participation, specific goals or rules, and mechanisms for improvement.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP

Support is in the form of a strong buy-in from your department’s leadership. It is critical that the chief take a strong stance on firefighter safety. If not, safety-related programs will not have the momentum needed to compete with other day-to-day issues. If properly supported, the safety committee should serve as the chief’s “safety think tank,” ready to make well-informed recommendations for positive change.

STRONG COMMITMENT AND PARTICIPATION

To reduce injury, illness, and death among firefighters, all levels in the organization—management, labor groups, and individuals—must have a strong commitment and be directly involved. Management is charged, often by law, with administering and evaluating the effectiveness of health and safety programs. Management’s proactive approach toward firefighter safety is key. Labor unions (or firefighter associations) should demand effective health and safety programs from the leadership. Also, each individual within the organization must actively participate in health and safety programs by wearing self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), using proper personal protective equipment, engaging in exercise, and eating healthful foods, for example. Full acceptance and participation from all members, regardless of rank or role, is critical to reducing deaths, injuries, and illnesses. In addition, the committee’s structure should represent all areas of the department, including front-line operations staff as well as administrative and civilian staff. I cannot stress enough that participation, input, and buy-in from all parties are crucial for success.

SPECIFIC GOALS OR RULES

The specific goals or rules for a safety committee may take different forms or be driven by varying influences. Committee goals may be stated in the mission statement or committee charter. Driving influences for structured rules may include federal, state, or local laws. Past safety history (injuries or fatalities) may have a profound effect on existing or proposed rules. Labor contracts or agreements often clarify the scope and intent of committee rules. It is also critical that committee goals and rules stem from the fundamental desire to make the workplace as safe as possible, given the inherent dangers of the job. As an example, a goal may be to improve SCBA safety by replacing outdated units. A supporting rule may be that the committee does not consider financial costs when making recommendations but focuses on what is safest for the firefighters.

MECHANISMS FOR IMPROVEMENT

The concept of the safety committee can be linked to the continuous need for improvement in our profession. This improvement may come from spotting trends, keeping historical records, conducting research, and overcoming obstacles.

Progress on issues in the fire service can occur rapidly—post 9-11 chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) standards, for example. Often, progress is not as sweeping as the safety-conscious firefighter would like. Staying committed to improving firefighter health and safety is a long-term commitment and should be viewed as such. Some changes may take considerable time and effort but are well worth the patience.

(1) Safety committees can have a profound effect on fire department standard operating procedures (SOPs), training, and equipment allocation. After early recognition (based on training and SOPs), this fire rapidly transitioned from an offensive to a defensive operation. Note the rapid intervention team (RIT) assembled in the foreground. Safety committees must take an active role in the development of safer fireground procedures. (Photo by Steve Crothers.)

Safety committees are well suited to spot trends based on the committee’s routine work—reviewing accident or injury reports, researching safety complaints, or networking with others in the fire service. Also, a safety committee’s collective knowledge may be instrumental in creating substantial or innovative recommendations for positive change in your department’s SOPs, training programs, or equipment allocation. Safety committees can also have an impact on the greater fire service community. The collective knowledge and experience of a safety committee can add value and credence to proposed changes in laws and recognized standards.

As with most committees, keeping accurate records is another critical component of an effective and credible safety committee. Safety committees can serve as a repository for historical information—meeting minutes, accident reports, and past recommendations for change, as examples.An effective safety committee can also function as a powerful research group.

Members can provide insight into historical practices and know where to find relevant information. Even if there is frequent turnover, previous committee members may still belong to the organization and can provide useful information. Accurate and detailed records will help with any historical research. In addition, safety committee members may be looked on as “subject matter experts” and called on as such during investigations or times of change.

(2) The safety committee should be knowledgeable in laws, standards, and codes relating to firefighter safety. An active safety committee can make recommendations for positive change at the local, state, and national level. (Photo by author.)

Staying current on laws, standards, and trends in the fire service is a key part of being on a safety committee. Many list servers, Web sites, publications, and newsletters are now dedicated solely to firefighter safety.

There may be numerous obstacles on the road to improvements in firefighter safety. The challenge for a safety committee is to find a way to address those obstacles while fostering a positive safety culture. One frequently encountered obstacle is the organizational budget. Although a reality, budgets should not dictate the issues a safety committee addresses, nor should budgetary constraints influence a committee’s recommendations for positive change. If it’s an important safety item, you’ll find a way to “make it happen,” regardless of the perceived budgetary costs. Investments in firefighter safety should not be viewed as too expensive.

Listed in Table 1 are just some of the health and safety issues facing today’s fire service. As a challenge, ask yourself if your department’s safety committee has addressed them. If your department does not have an active safety committee yet and you feel that all of your safety needs are being met by your current system, good for you! You have true commitment and leadership in your department when it comes to firefighter safety. However, if you find that your organization has “room for improvement” when it comes to firefighter safety, consider the impact an active safety committee can have.

J. M. HAVNER, who has been in the fire service for more than 20 years, has served the past 14 years with the Seattle (WA) Fire Department. He is the captain of Engine Company 24, which protects the northwest corner of Seattle. He is a long-standing member of the Joint Labor/Management Safety Committee for the Seattle Fire Department, currently serving as the chairperson.