HomeMy WebLinkAbout[09c] 2013 Safety Training •
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LEAGUE OF CONNECTING & INNOVATING
MINNESOTA SINCE 1913
CITIES
RISK MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
ALTERNATIVE SAFETY COMMITTEES:
LMCIT REGIONAL SAFETY GROUP INITIATIVE -
WHAT'S IN IT FOR MY CITY?
Making safety a priority in your city can be overwhelming. Creating and maintaining policies,
coordinating required training, and constantly working to monitor and improve the city's safety
record is no small task. That's why the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust(LMCIT)
developed the Regional Safety Group Initiative. This new program makes it easy to participate in a
safety committee that complies with the state and federal Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA) and meets your city's needs. The initiative also provides a manner in which cities can
work together in a safety committee model to reach important safety goals.
Participation in a regional safety group is a practical way for cities to make "safety first"a habit
with all employees. Proper safety practices protect your city's most valuable resource—your
employees. LMCIT claims data show that the city employees most likely to work in the field are
also the ones most likely to get hurt on the job. Typically those groups include staff in public
works,law enforcement, and parks &recreation. It is the city's responsibility to make sure
employees have the necessary safety training and tools as they perform their jobs each day.
Another reason for"safety first"is that workplace accidents and injuries are expensive. Medical
costs associated with treating a workplace injury or illness can be extraordinary. When an injury
happens in the workplace there are direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are those that are likely to
be documented such as medical bills and the cost for lost time from work. Indirect costs are more
difficult to identify and measure, but include things such as lost productivity, lowered employee
morale, and training another employee. Understanding indirect costs is especially important when
you consider the indirect cost of a workplace accident generally is four times the direct cost. In
other words, an accident with$25,000 in direct costs is likely to have associated indirect costs of
$100,000. This brings the grand total for the accident to $125,000.
While the information above is hopefully convincing enough on its own, cities also need to
understand that providing a safe workplace is not just a nice thing to do. State and federal law
require employers to provide a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. Specific workplace
safety standards and associated requirements are available through the Minnesota Department of
Labor and Industry at http://www.dli.mn.gov/Wsc.asp and the U.S. Department of Labor at
www.osha.gov.
This material is provided as general information and Is not a substitute for legal advice.
Consult your attorney for advice concerning specific situations.
LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES 145 UNIVERSITY AVE.WEST PHONE:(651)2814200 FAX (651)2814298
INSURANCE TRUST ST.PAUL.MN S5103-2044 TOLL FREE:(800)9254122 WEB:WWW.LMC.ORG
Minnesota Statutes, Section 182.676, deals specifically with safety committees and requires all
employers with more than 25 workers to have a joint labor management safety and health
committee (safety committee). Minnesota Rules permit the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to
cite employers that are required to have a safety committee but do not. Under current law an
employer must have a safety committee if:
• It has more than 25 employees (Frequently, state and federal laws require volunteer
firefighters to be counted as employees. For information on determining who is an
employee, see the Hiring Chapter in the LMC HR Reference Manual at www.lmc.org.); or
• It has a lost workday cases incidence rate in the top 10 percent of all rates for employers in
the same industry; or
• The workers' compensation premium classification assigned to the greatest portion of the
payroll for the employer has a pure premium rate as reported by the Workers'
Compensation Rating Association in the top 25 percent of premium rates for all classes.
State law further requires that safety committees hold regularly scheduled meetings (unless
otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement) and that members of the safety
committee are selected by fellow employees. In general,the number of employee representatives
on a safety committee must equal or exceed the number of management representatives on that
committee. Time spent being a member of a safety committee is usually considered part of an
employee's job.
The safety committee is charged with guiding the city in its efforts to comply with OSHA and
provide all employees with a safe and healthy place of employment free from hazards capable of
causing injury or illness. The characteristics of a successful safety committee will vary depending
on your city's organizational structure,management system, and particular safety needs. One
model is not likely to fit everyone. Recognizing this,Minnesota Rules permit employers to
establish an alternative safety committee or a safety committee that is innovative or different in
form or function.
City-specific safety committees still are the best practice when effective. If your city is struggling
to identify safety needs and accomplish safety goals, however, a regional safety group could be
your city's answer to a safety committee. When properly structured, a regional safety group can
meet the requirements of a"safety committee"as defined in state law. This is where the LMCIT
Regional Safety Group Initiative comes in. But first, a bit of history.
Several years ago LMCIT, in partnership with the Minnesota Municipal Utilities
Association(MMUA), created a program called OSHA/Safety Assistance (OSHA
program). The purpose of the program was to address employee safety needs and provide
cities with the tools needed to comply with OSHA requirements. This OSHA program
involved structured meetings in specific locations coordinated by LMCIT and MMUA. A
good concept, but some safety coordinators found it difficult to go back to their cities and
implement the training and policies shared at the OSHA program meetings.
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The regional safety group idea originated when a number of southwestern Minnesota
cities, who were participating in the OSHA program, decided they could make more
progress on their safety goals together than they could as individual cities. That was the
beginning of the Sibley Group, an alternative safety committee currently comprised of
nine small cities. After learning of the success of the Sibley Group, a number of other
regional safety groups formed. This model continues to be very effective for a number of
smaller member cities, and LMCIT is committed to providing direct assistance to other
members interested in developing regional safety groups.
The LMCIT Regional Safety Group Initiative has become a way for cities to get organized and
stay on top of their safety programs -together. The goal of these programs is the same: To help
cities develop their own safety coordinators and custom safety programs.
The OSHA/Safety Assistance program is not currently offered, but LMCIT continues to offer the
"train the trainer" sessions on important safety topics as fall workshops. In essence, LMCIT sets
these up so all you have to do is show up!
The Regional Safety Group Initiative is a bit different. Cities work together with guidance from
LMCIT to form their own safety groups. As part of forming such a group each city is asked to
enter into an Agreement Establishing a Regional Safety Group. Once established, LMCIT and
MMUA representatives work with the group to:
• Develop an ongoing meeting schedule. The group might decide to meet every month, every
other month, or on some other schedule. In addition, meeting time and location is up to the
group—perhaps a different group member will host each time, maybe the same centrally
located member will host every time.
• Hold joint Safety Committee meetings. The group chooses its Safety Committee members.
The Committee follows an Agenda to reviews injuries, and old/new business. Minutes are
taken of the meeting and shared with the group.
• Deliver up to 12 on-site MMUA training sessions per year,with 50 percent of the training
cost paid by LMCIT and the remaining cost split among the group. Groups choose the
location of their meetings. Group members decide how that cost will be divided.
• Take advantage of free online safety training through FirstNet Learning, endorsed by the
National Safety Council. (http://www.firstnetlearning.com/offerings/lmnc/).
Please contact LMCIT to get started. Staff is on hand to help members develop a regional safety
group that complies with the specific requirements of Minnesota law. To get started or to learn
more, contact Chris White, LMCIT Loss Control Program Coordinator at 651.215.4069/
800.925.1122 or cwhite @lmc.org. Information also is available on the LMC web site at
www.lmc.org.
Loss Control 10/2011
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