The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has announced an initiative to develop and implement an effective, consistent, department-wide workplace safety program. This World Class Safety Program consists of safety committees made up of top management and employees, safety meetings, safety audits and incident investigation throughout all levels of the organization.
Division Director's Safety Committee
The purpose of this committee is to be the focal point for safety issues throughout the division. The committee is responsible for originating, modifying, coordinating and guiding the safety program. The primary function is to review sub-committee reports and recommendations and to effect the necessary corrective action through management involvement. This would include providing or locating funding, training and other resources. This committee is chaired by the Division Director and will meet monthly. Summary reports and findings will be submitted in writing to the Secretary's Safety Sub-committee quarterly.
Division Safety Sub-committees
The following sub-committees will be established to orchestrate oversight and review of issues critical to safety and accident prevention:
Incident and Injury Investigation Sub-committee
Reviews incident investigations, statistics and trends and monitors compliance with recommendations. The committee will focus on the facts surrounding an incident and on ways, such as engineering, administrative, and safe work practices and/or the use of personal protective equipment, to prevent future incidents from happening. The committee meets quarterly and provides a written summary report to the Division Director's Safety Committee quarterly.
Safety Audit Review Sub-committee
Reviews safety audit reports, compiles and analyzes data and makes periodic safety and housekeeping inspections. The committee will verify that deficiencies and corrective actions noted on audit reports are being addressed in a timely manner. The committee coordinates with the audit log monthly and convenes quarterly, and provides a written summary report to the Division Director's Safety Committee quarterly.
Supervisor's Safety Meetings
Supervisors shall conduct safety meeting with their employees on a regular basis. The purpose of the safety meetings is to discuss safety related issues, ideas, and solutions to safety programs. The safety meetings shall be used to present information and new ideas related to safety and to discuss recent incidents, near misses, accidents and injuries. Information and recommendation from various sub-committees shall be discussed. Feedback and suggestions from safety meetings shall be relayed back to the respective sub-committee for review and action. All employees are required to attend safety meetings. Safety meetings will be recorded and forwarded on a quarterly basis to the Division safety consultant.
Safety Audits
Supervisors are responsible for conducting safety audits of their facilities and work operations on a quarterly basis. The purpose of safety audits is to identify unsafe acts or conditions and make corrections before an incident takes place. Completed safety audit forms will be submitted to the Division Safety Audit Review Sub-committee for review and tracking.
