Successful Safety Committees: Participation Not Legislation

Abstract This study examines the differences in safety outcomes based on mandatory versus voluntary safety committee implementation at six manufacturing plants. Injury data were collected over a 10-year period, before and after each of these plants implemented employee safety committees. Data were also collected on two similar plants where no safety committees were implemented during the study period and acted as controls for the study. The results suggest that the government could better achieve its objectives of reducing occupational injuries by encouraging companies to increase employees’ opportunities to participate in the safety process rather than target and/or require a specific type of participation program to be implemented.