Safety Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 2: General Workplace Safety

SPPM 2.12

For more information contact:
   Environmental Health and Safety
   509-335-3041

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Form:  Safety, Health, and Security Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Overview

The University has implemented a network of safety, health, and security (SHS) committees, organized into four levels. The levels and network of SHS committees are identified on the President’s Office website.

Together, the committees engage and coordinate WSU administrators, campuses, colleges, departments, programs, students, and employees to sustain and improve WSU’s commitment to safety and a culture that emphasizes safety.

Purpose

This section (SPPM 2.12) provides flexibility, structure, responsibilities, membership, and functions for safety committees and meetings required by WAC 296-800-130, -13020, and -13025. WSU employees and management must be represented on a safety committee or attend safety meetings.

• Level 3 safety, health, and security (SHS) committees represent the campuses, colleges, and administrative areas;
• Level 4 (SHS) committees represent departments, buildings, and programs; and
• “Safety meetings” represent employees in remote locations or on nonroutine work schedules with ten or fewer employees that are unable to attend Level 3 or 4 SHS committee meetings.

Structure and Responsibilities

Each campus chancellor, college dean, and executive administrator reporting directly to the President or Provost must establish a Level 3 SHS committee for their campus, college, or administrative area.

Chancellors, college deans, and executive administrators may elect to fulfill employee representation requirements at Level 3 or Level 4 as follows, whichever they deem most appropriate for their campus, college, or area.

Department chairs, program administrators, and/or building coordinators reporting to chancellors, deans, or executive administrators must establish Level 4 SHS committees when the employee representation requirement is not fulfilled by a Level 3 SHS committee.

Management representatives (i.e., work unit leads) may establish safety meetings if:

• Work units are in remote locations with ten or fewer employees at each location;
• Employees have nonroutine work schedules with ten or fewer employees on each shift; or
• Work units have ten or fewer employees.

Level 3 SHS Committees

Membership

Level 3 SHS committees may have both employee-elected representatives from Level 4 SHS committees and/or employee-elected at-large representative(s) who serve on a Level 3 SHS committee.

Level 3 SHS committees fulfilling WAC 296-800-13020 requirements must have employer-selected and employee representation elected membership. Employee-elected membership must equal or exceed employer-selected membership. If there is an employee-elected member vacancy, a new member must be elected prior to the next scheduled meeting.

Employer-selected members must be nominated by the department chairs, program administrators, and/or building coordinators by the end of each spring semester. The term is from August 16 of the current year to August 15 of the following year. Members may serve multiple-year terms.

Co-Chairs

The campus chancellor, college dean, or executive administrator reporting directly to the President or Provost serves as administrative co-chair of the Level 3 SHS committee. The administrative co-chair meets with the Level 3 SHS committee a minimum of two times per calendar year. The administrative co-chair designates a representative who attends four meetings per calendar year.

The SHS committee elects a co-chair who presides at all meetings. The term of the elected co-chair is one year. An elected co-chair may be reelected for another term. There is no limit on the number of terms to which an elected co-chair may be reelected.

Functions

Meeting Frequency

Level 3 SHS committees must meet a minimum of four times per calendar year. The committee determines increased meeting frequency as needed.

Meeting Length

The length of each meeting may not exceed one hour except by a majority vote of the committee.

Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Level 3 SHS committees keep minutes to document each meeting agenda and summarize discussions. The minutes or correspondence must include the following items:

• Review of hazard or concern corrective actions identified by committee members or in the minutes or correspondence submitted to the committee by Level 4 SHS committees.
• Evaluation of Incident Reports and Supervisor’s Accident Investigation Reports submitted by each represented department, program, area, or Level 4 SHS committee. (See SPPM 2.24 and 2.26.)
• Evaluation of safety and health inspection reports submitted by each represented department, program, area, or Level 4 SHS committee to help correct hazards. (See SPPM 2.50.)
• Evaluation of workplace accident prevention programs. (See SPPM 2.10.)

As needed, Level 3 SHS committees send questions, concerns, and requests for assistance to the appropriate Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committee or safety, health, or security office. Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committee members or safety, health, or security office personnel may be added to the agenda as guest speakers.

Documentation

The committees and meeting members may use the Safety, Health, and Security Meeting Agenda and Minutes form or may create an equivalent report documenting the agenda and minutes. The form is available in PDF format on the Policies, Records, and Forms (PRF) website.

Note: When Level 3 committees are used to fulfill WAC 296-800-13020 requirements, safety meeting agenda and minutes must contain the elements included on the Safety, Health, and Security Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes form.

Routing

The Level 3 elected co-chair routes the Level 3 meeting minutes to the applicable Level 3 administrative co-chair (i.e., campus chancellor, college dean, or executive administrator) for review and signature.

The Level 3 administrative co-chair routes the signed minutes to the Level 2 Steering Committee, Level 4 SHS committee chairs as applicable, and the Level 3 elected co-chair.

The elected chair of each Level 4 SHS committee (if applicable) routes meeting minutes to the Level 3 elected co-chair. The Level 3 elected co-chair routes the Level 4 minutes to the Level 3 administrative co-chair (i.e., campus chancellor, college dean, or executive administrator) and the Level 3 committee members for review, consideration, and inclusion in the next Level 3 SHS committee meeting agenda.

Retention

Level 3 SHS committees are to maintain copies of the safety meeting agenda and minutes for two years, in accordance with University records retention requirements. (See BPPM 90.01.)

Level 4 SHS Committees

Membership

Level 4 SHS committees must have employer-selected and employee-elected membership. (WAC 296-800-13020)

 Employee-elected membership must equal or exceed the number of employer-selected members. The term for employee-elected members is a maximum of one year with no limit to the number of terms a representative can serve. If there is an employee-elected member vacancy, a new member must be elected prior to the next scheduled meeting.

Employer-selected Level 4 committee members must be nominated by the department chairs, program administrators, and/or building coordinators by the end of each spring semester. The term is from August 16 of the current year to August 15 of the following year. Members may serve multiple-year terms.

Committee Chair

Level 4 SHS committees elect a chair who presides at meetings. The term of the elected chair is one year. The chair may be reelected for another term. There is no limit on the number of terms to which an elected chair may be reelected.

Administrative Participation

The applicable department chairs, program administrators, or building coordinators attend the Level 4 SHS committee meetings. If identified as voting committee members, administrative participants are employer-selected members.

Functions

Meeting Frequency

Level 4 committees must meet a minimum of four times per calendar year and frequently enough to effectively identify and discuss safety concerns. The committee chair determines meeting frequency, times, and locations and may schedule meetings more often, if needed.

Meeting Length

The length of each meeting may not exceed one hour except by a majority vote of the committee.

Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Level 4 SHS committees must keep minutes that document each meeting agenda and summary of discussions. The minutes or correspondence must include the following items:

• Review of safety and health inspection reports to help correct hazards. (See SPPM 2.50.)
• Evaluation of Incident Reports and Supervisor’s Accident Investigation Reports to identify and correct the causes of any accident or near miss. (See SPPM 2.24 and 2.26.)
• Evaluation and improvement of the workplace accident prevention program. (See SPPM 2.10.)
• Questions, concerns, and requests for assistance sent to Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committees or appropriate safety, health or security offices, as needed.
• Election of a representative for the Level 3 SHS committee.

Level 4 SHS committee chairs solicit agenda items from applicable department chairs, program administrators, building coordinators, and/or other committee members.

The Level 4 SHS committee chair and the applicable department chair, program administrator, or building coordinator reviews any Level 4 work unit safety meeting minutes and as necessary incorporates elements into the meeting agenda.

As needed, Level 4 SHS committees send questions, concerns, and requests for assistance to applicable Level 3 SHS committee chair, Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committees, or appropriate safety, health, or security offices. Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committee members or safety, health, or security office personnel may be added to the agenda as guest speakers.

After receiving input, the Level 4 SHS committee chair sets the agenda for the next meeting.

Documentation

The committees and meeting members may use the Safety, Health, and Security Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes form or may create an equivalent report documenting the agenda and minutes. (See Documentation in the Level 3 subsection.)

Note: All Level 4 SHS Committee safety meeting agenda and minutes must contain the elements included on the Safety, Health, and Security Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes form.

Routing

The Level 4 SHS committee chair routes the meeting minutes to the applicable department chair, program administrator, or building coordinator for review and signature.

The department chair, program administrator, or building coordinator routes the signed minutes to the Level 3 elected co-chairs and Level 4 chair.

Retention

Level 4 SHS committees are to maintain copies of the safety meeting agenda and minutes for two years, in accordance with University records retention requirements. (See BPPM 90.01.)

Level 4 Work Unit Safety Meetings

Membership

Level 4 departments, programs, or work units with ten or fewer employees working in remote locations or on nonroutine shifts without access to Level 4 SHS committees may conduct work unit safety meetings. (WAC 296-800-130 and -13025)

The work unit lead is the management representative and is a member of the Level 4 work unit safety meeting.

Functions

Meeting Frequency

Work unit safety meetings are held monthly or more frequently to discuss safety, health, and security issues as the issues arise.

Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Work unit safety meeting members must keep minutes that document each meeting agenda and summary of discussions. The minutes must include the following items:

• Evaluation of Incident Reports and Supervisor’s Accident Investigation Reports to identify and correct the causes of any accident or near miss. (See SPPM 2.24 and 2.26.)
• Evaluation and improvement of the workplace accident prevention program. (See SPPM 2.10.)
• Review of safety and health inspection reports to help correct hazards. (See SPPM 2.50.)

As needed, the safety meeting members send questions, concerns, and requests for assistance to the applicable Level 3 or Level 4 SHS committee elected chair and/or Level 2 SHS advisory and approval committees.

Documentation

The work unit safety meeting members may use the Safety, Health, and Security Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes form or may create an equivalent report documenting the agenda and minutes. (See Documentation in the Level 3 subsection.)

Routing

The work unit safety meeting members route the minutes to the applicable unit administrator or supervisor for review and signature.

The unit administrator or supervisor routes the signed meeting minutes to the Level 4 SHS committee chair and the work unit lead.

Retention

Level 4 work unit safety meeting members are to maintain copies of the safety meeting agenda and minutes for two years, in accordance with University records retention requirements. (See BPPM 90.01.)

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Revisions:  July 2020 (Rev. 124); Jan. 2019 (Rev 117); Oct. 2011 (Rev. 92); Mar. 2004 (Rev. 52); Oct. 1988 (Rev. 5*).