...Title
Supporting a Citywide Safety Committee that monitors and assists departments in providing a safe and healthy work environment for City employees.
...Body
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter and the City Council are committed to improving the effectiveness of public service at all levels by providing a safe and healthy work environment for city employees; and;
WHEREAS, workplace safety is a requirement of state and federal laws and must be a primary concern of all employees and managers. Employees have the responsibility to point out unsafe practices or work areas to supervisors and managers. Each city department is responsible for the development, implementation, and enforcement of safe work policies, procedures, and practices to provide a safe and healthful work environment and to ensure compliance with all applicable laws; and
WHEREAS, awareness and implementation of safe work practices and procedures will improve employee and public safety and save city resources;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Saint Paul will support and maintain a Citywide Safety Committee that monitors and assists departments in providing a safe and healthy environment for employees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, each of the following departments will appoint one management representative to the Citywide Safety Committee: Mayor’s Office, Human Resources, Emergency Management, Fire, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Police, Public Works, Water Services, Safety and Inspections, City Attorney’s Office, Financial Services, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity, Planning and Economic Development, Technology and Communications. The Human Resources and Emergency Management Directors (or designees) shall serve as the co-chairs of the Committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, each of the city bargaining units shall be invited to designate a delegate and alternate to the Committee; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, employees, supervisors and managers, committee and subcommittee members shall have the following responsibilities:
EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees are required to perform their work safely and exercise due care to prevent injury to themselves, other employees and the public. All employees shall:
1. Be knowledgeable of safety and health related regulations, policies, standards, and procedures related to their job responsibilities.
2. Be knowledgeable of work place safety and health hazards and hazard control procedures and practices.
3. Perform assigned work in accordance with established policies, procedures, and safe work practices. Be attentive to their surroundings in the work environment and to potential hazards.
4. Utilize all required safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) while performing job tasks. If equipment is not available or is in non-working condition, immediately notify the supervisor.
5. Inspect tools, equipment, safety devices, and PPE for damage and defects prior to each use and routinely thereafter.
6. Report all injuries, occupational illnesses (including symptoms of chemical overexposure), and accidents (including close-calls) to their supervisor immediately.
7. Report unsafe conditions and acts to their supervisor and/or safety committee.
8. Communicate training needs and safety suggestions to their supervisor and/or safety committee.
9. Participate in work place inspections and hazard assessments.
10. Attend safety meetings and training sessions as required.
11. Keep all work areas and equipment clean, orderly and in good condition.
12. Have and maintain all required licenses and certifications (including driver’s licenses) and immediately report to their supervisor any suspensions or revocations thereof.
SUPERVISOR/MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervisors/Managers are responsible for the daily safe working conditions and practices of employees. All Supervisors/Managers shall:
1. Provide visible, verbal and budgeted financial support to safety and health programs.
2. Establish and communicate those policies, programs, procedures, and practices necessary to protect employee’s safety and health.
3. Identify and communicate safety and health related goals and objectives.
4. Provide necessary resources to implement and manage safety and health related policies, programs, procedures, goals, and objectives.
5. Be accountable for the implementation of safety and health related policies, programs, procedures, goals and objectives.
6. Ensure that staff adheres to all safety and health related policies and procedures.
7. Ensure that new employees receive required physicals and training before conducting work.
8. Ensure that all vehicles, machines, tools and PPE are properly maintained and that unsafe items are immediately withdrawn from service for repair or replacement.
9. Perform required safety inspection of their work unit on a regular basis.
10. Conduct accident and injury (including close-calls) investigations to determine root cause and appropriate corrective actions.
11. Consider and act upon unsafe condition reports and other safety and health related issues communicated by employees.
12. Acknowledge safe work practices.
13. Counsel and discipline (when necessary) employees who fail to observe established safety and health related policies, procedures, and work practices.
14. Communicate serious or unresolved safety and health hazards to the Citywide Safety Committee.
15. Implement corrective actions to minimize and mitigate the City’s exposure to loss as identified through safety audits and inspections.
16. Ensure that budgetary resources are allocated to provide appropriate safety equipment.
CITYWIDE SAFETY COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Citywide Safety Committee is responsible to establish and monitor a system of subcommittees through which activities and working conditions affecting the safety of City employees in the workplace can be reviewed and analyzed. The Committee shall oversee and monitor all safety subcommittees. Department safety subcommittees shall be responsible for all Committee responsibilities within their department. If a department does not have a subcommittee, the responsibilities will be performed by the Committee.
Citywide Safety Committee shall:
1. Review and analyze the level of effectiveness of safety programs and training within the City and make recommendations.
2. Meet, at least quarterly, in the months of October, January, April, and July.
3. Ensure adequate and appropriate subcommittees are established at various locations to ensure compliance with applicable law and based upon current City needs.
4. Perform internal audits to ensure safety policies, procedures, and practices comply with applicable laws and make recommendations to departments and/or subcommittees as needed.
5. Establish measurable goals and objectives for the Committee.
6. Promote safety awareness and communicate specific safety and health related needs and improvements to the City, managers, supervisors, and employees.
7. Develop a safety complaint and suggestion system for employees to provide feedback and voice concerns.
8. Serve as a review board for subcommittee decisions on complaints regarding unsafe working conditions.
9. Conduct safety inspections as required or by request of a department or subcommittee.
10. Provide an annual report and analysis of the City’s safety and health programs to the Mayor’s Office.
11. Establish and maintain appropriate governing by-laws.
12. Maintain Safety Committee records as required by law.
Department Subcommittees shall:
1. Review and analyze the level of effectiveness of the department’s safety programs and training and make recommendations to the department.
2. Review and ensure department safety policies, procedures, and practices comply with applicable laws and make recommendations to the department.
3. Review accident and injury reports (including close-calls) within the department to identify and analyze hazards and trends.
4. Review the results of department work place safety inspections to identify and analyze hazards.
5. Review, analyze, and provide feedback to complaints and suggestions by employees, supervisors, or employee group representatives regarding unsafe working conditions and if appropriate make recommendations for immediate corrective action.
6. Conduct safety inspections as required or by request of department or Citywide Safety Committee.
7. Promote safety awareness and communicate specific safety and health related needs and improvements to the managers, supervisors, and employees.
8. Establish measurable goals and objectives for the subcommittee.
9. Provide a quarterly report and analysis to the citywide safety committee of the department’s safety and health programs.
10. Provide the citywide safety committee a copy of all subcommittee documents including but not limited to, agendas, meeting notes, minutes, and recommendation letters/communications.