Safety Committees for Cities

Safety committees are essential for reducing workplace injuries, preventing losses, and ensuring legal compliance. For cities, they offer a way to: 

• Identify and address hazards
• Engage employees in safety efforts
• Meet OSHA requirements
• Reduce incident rates
• Lower insurance costs
• Provide space for cross-departmental safety discussions
• Strengthen and sustain positive safety culture

Minnesota Statutes, section 182.676 applies to all public and private employers and requires the following:

• Employers with more than 25 employees must establish and administer a safety committee.
• Employers with 25 or fewer employees must establish and administer a safety committee if they are subject to the requirement of having a MN AWAIR Program. See Minnesota Rules 5208.1500, for the list of NAICS codes required to have AWAIR.

Who is included in the employee count? 

Minnesota Statutes, section 182.651, subdivision 9 defines “employee” as any person suffered or permitted to work by an employer, including any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of or as a representative of, an employer, and shall include state, county, town, city, school district, or governmental subdivision. This means that all payroll staff, including:

• Full time 
• Part time
• Temporary and seasonal
• Volunteer paid on-call firefighters
• Paid council members and mayor 

Your safety committee should include representatives from all levels of the organization, with employee representation equal to or greater than management. This balanced structure encourages open communication and ensures employees have a strong voice in safety discussions. The committee’s responsibilities should encompass all areas of municipal operations, including public works, police, fire, parks, community centers, liquor stores, and any other city departments.

The committee should be small enough to function smoothly but large enough to foster communication between work groups. For very small entities, as few as two or three people could make up a committee, but larger entities require more involvement. Most committees function best with 10 to 12 members.

Safety committee members should be selected through a volunteer process or by co-worker nomination to ensure genuine interest and commitment to workplace safety.

Ideal members are respected by peers and demonstrate leadership, an openness to new ideas, familiarity with workplace procedures, strong communication skills, and a willingness to actively participate. To bring in fresh perspectives and broaden involvement, membership should rotate periodically, with staggered terms to maintain continuity and avoid full turnover all at once.

A well-functioning safety committee relies on clear roles and active participation. While a senior management representative typically serves as chairperson, many organizations also appoint a co-chair, often a non-management employee, to encourage broader involvement. A secretary should also be designated to document meetings.

Having both a policy and bylaws is essential for an effective safety committee.

The policy outlines the committee’s overall purpose, authority, and responsibilities, serving as a guiding document for management, employees, and committee members.

The bylaws define the committee’s specific functions, detail its core activities, and establish the procedures for conducting regular business.

Safety Committee Policy, LMC model policy (doc)

Safety Committee Bylaws Template, LMC model bylaws template (doc)

An agenda sets the foundation for an effective meeting. Without a clear purpose, meetings risk being seen as unproductive.

A well-prepared agenda: 

• Outlines the meeting’s objectives
• Keeps discussions focused on achieving specific outcomes
• Is shared ahead of time with members to allow for preparation

Safety Committee Agenda & Minute Taking Guide (doc)

Safety committees are typically not responsible for conducting incident investigations — that duty usually falls to the employee’s supervisor, who is more familiar with the equipment and procedures involved. However, committee members should still understand your organization’s investigation process and review recent incidents at each meeting. This helps to identify potential hazards and prevent future occurrences. Remember not to share any personal information related to the incident. 

Other resources that can help with basic incident investigation: 

• Supervisor Accident Form (doc)
• Employee Incident Report (doc)
• LMCIT Workers’ Compensation Claims Management
• Incident Investigation Guide (doc)
• Root Cause Analysis Guide (doc)

You can also request basic incident investigation training from your LMCIT loss control consultant. 

The committee should monitor insurance claim patterns to identify recurring risks and address them proactively. Example: Multiple slip-and-fall claims in winter may indicate the need for improved ice safety measures.

You can request a claim trend analysis from your LMCIT loss control consultant.

The committee can conduct various types of walk-through inspections, all aimed at identifying issues before they lead to accidents or injuries. These checks are a proactive way to spot and address potential hazards in the workplace. Useful tools include: 

• Workplace Inspection Safety Checklist (doc)
• Safety Hazard Report Form (doc)

Employees can use these documents to report near-misses and hazards to assist in preventing future incidents and making the city a safer workplace.

Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) break down tasks into steps, assess each step for potential hazards, and implement appropriate safety controls. These assessments should involve employees who regularly perform the tasks. 

 Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Inspection Guide (doc)

Organizations should regularly review and update written safety programs to keep them effective. Input from various departments—through the safety committee—can make these programs more relevant and practical. Your safety committee can also help organize and promote both required and optional training by sharing information, inviting staff to sessions, or helping find qualified trainers. While LMCIT does not provide OSHA-required training directly, our loss control consultants can connect you with resources to ensure your employees receive the necessary instruction, including:

• NEOGOV Online Safety Training Platform
• Regional Safety Groups
• CoastalFlix Streaming Safety Videos
• MN OSHA Written Program Requirements (doc)
• MN OSHA Required Safety Training Table (doc)
• Safety Training Sign-In Sheet (doc)
• Safety and Health Program Self-Evaluation Checklist (doc)

Enhance training retention and employee engagement by using a variety of communication tools. Effective options include posters, toolbox talks (available from your LMCIT loss control consultant), safety newsletters, and training videos. LMCIT also offers free access to Streaming Safety Videos to support your training efforts.

The safety committee can support broader initiatives in a variety of ways, including:

• Helping apply for OSHA safety grant program.
• Create an annual safety calendar. Use the National Safety Council’s Observance Calendar or our Safety Committee Activity Calendar (doc) to get started.
• Organizing safety/wellness fairs and morale-boosting events (e.g. pizza parties).
• Encourage members to bring photos of real hazards they have observed to help spark discussion.
• Assign a different committee member at each meeting to prepare a safety newsletter. Each member will then distribute the newsletter within their respective department.