The organization should appoint a safety- committee and staff.
The safety committee should meet on a regular basis. The committee should address at the minimum:
1) New/changed safety regulations.
2) Newly reported safety incidents and their root cause.
3) Recommendation for appropriate corrective action.
4) Systems for reporting incidents and ‘near misses.
5) Availability and correct functioning PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), first-aid accessories and other general safety equipment and measures.
Appointed safety staff could be dedicated or shared function depending on the size of the organization. Where a shared function is appropriate, it should not create a conflict of interest. Safety staff should have clearly defined roles, responsibilities and authorization levels. At a minimum, the following functions should be appointed:
1) Risk manager; responsible for risk assessments.
2) Safety manager; responsible for the overall safety policies and procedures.
3) First Aid Officer(s).
4) Emergency warden / floor warden; safeguards life and property in an emergency.
Appointed staff should be fit for duty at all times. Code permitted, the organization should on a regular basis review the physical and mental health of the appointed staff so that they are ready if called upon.
