Lessons Learned:
Routine Safety Meetings - Not Just For Drivers Anymore

Whether required by a regulatory agency or not, routine safety meetings should be an element of every chemical facility’s safety or training program. Operations mangers can use the following information to establish, improve or refresh the company’s safety meeting program for its employees. Implementation of routine safety meetings, with open discussions on topics relevant to operations and employees’ responsibilities, is an effective way to reinforce safety principles and practices. Potential long-term results of this type of program include a reduction in the frequency or severity of accidents, injuries, equipment damage and spills.

Who Should Be Included?

Include not only drivers should in the safety meeting program, but operations, production and maintenance personnel as well. Employees with safety sensitive positions and job responsibilities involving hazardous materials should be included. Office staff handling paperwork related to hazardous materials shipments should also periodically attend safety meetings. Supervisors should attend and in many instances participate in the presentations.

What Topics Should Be Covered?

General topics range from defensive driving principles to ergonomics to fire extinguisher use. Subjects that are specific to a group of employees or facility location may be added to the meeting agenda. For example, one location may handle oxidizers while another location may never expect to handle these types of chemicals and therefore does not need training on the hazards of handling oxidizers.

Another good business practice is to review the company’s specific location or division safety (accident) records over the past month or since the last safety meeting was conducted, and discuss accident causes and prevention with employees. Be sure to point out positive trends or areas of improvement achieved since the last meeting.

Workers who know effective safety practices frequently identify hazards that are risks to the company’s work activity. These lists of hazards are usually a good source for safety meeting material.

Safety meeting subject matter can also include regulatory-required training topics. Inclusion of topics like hazardous material classification, personal protective equipment, spill awareness, emergency procedures, and others can assure compliance with annual refresher training requirements. Furthermore, a safety meeting topic with a wide-range of application such as safe backing techniques easily can be designed for industrial powered equipment operators in the warehouse or yard as well as the traditional commercial vehicle “driver.”

How Often Is ‘Routine’ Enough?

Monthly meetings seem to be the most common. However, frequency depends on the complexity of operations, the number of employees, company locations and topics to be covered. Smaller operations with fewer employees may hold brief, informal meetings more than once a month, while larger companies may opt for more formal quarterly meetings. Regardless of the frequency of the individual meetings, the safety meeting program, including topics and dates, should be planned in advance. Many companies find that the scheduling of the meetings is determined by attendance. Plan enough meetings so that an employee or driver will have attended the expected number of meetings (e.g., 4, 6 and 12) over the year.

Sample Monthly Meeting Schedule

Resources

XL Environmental’s video lending library, prepared presentation materials and speakers are available through the XL Environmental Risk Control Division. Guest speakers from insurance companies, trade associations and regulatory agencies can also add insight and perspective on topics. Material that encourages audience participation usually has greater interest and higher retention. Pre- and post-tests are other good safety meeting tools.

Don’t Forget Documentation!

Whatever type of safety meeting program you implement, remember to document each employee’s attendance at the meetings as well as the topic(s) discussed. Record any regulatory-required training that was covered. Allow enough time to give employees the opportunity to provide feedback on safety issues and to discuss the safety material that was presented.

XL Environmental’s Risk Control Division has a training staff that is knowledgeable in DOT, EPA and OSHA regulations. We can assist you in developing a training or safety meeting program applicable to your company’s operations. Call XL Environmental’s Risk Control Division at 800-327-1414 to learn how we can provide a customized training program that meets your needs.

XL Environmental • Risk Control Division • 520 Eagleview Boulevard, PO Box 636, Exton, PA 19341 • Phone: 800-327-1414 • Fax: 610-458-7285 • xlenvironmental.com

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