According to Title 40 O.S. 403e – Every employer having twenty-five (25) or more full- or part-time employees shall:
Designate an employee who shall coordinate all safety programs of the employer;
Provide safety classes to each type or class of employee no less than quarterly.
What this means is if your city or town employs 25 full and part-time employees, you must have a designated safety coordinator who provides or plans safety meetings for all the employees for your municipality on topics that are relevant to their work.
This is how OMAG Risk Management Services sees your Safety Program work:
First, the municipality’s City Manager, Town Administrator, or Mayor (depending on the form of government) hires or assigns a designated Safety Coordinator. This should be a person that has an interest in “Safety”. They should be devoted and dedicated to keeping people safe.
Second, the designated Safety Coordinator holds safety meetings for municipal employees at least quarterly each year. These meetings need to be pertinent to the employee’s specific work duties.
Finally, the municipality’s department supervisors must make sure the employees under their supervision attend these training classes. Employees are responsible for attending the classes because the meetings are for their benefit and safety.
The Safety Coordinator designation must be in writing. This can be accomplished through, memo, letter, or in the written safety program (Safety and Health Policy and Procedure Manual) for the municipality. The following are duties and responsibilities of the designated Safety Coordinator:
Ensure the development, implementation, and updating of the required written safety and health programs.
Ensure that periodic safety and health walk-through inspections of all workplace facilities are completed and identified hazards are corrected.
Ensure quarterly safety training and all specifically required training is provided for all employees.
Ensure that accident/injury investigations are completed.
Conduct investigations into employee inquiries, suggestions, and complaints.
Maintain health and safety documents/files.
Ensure periodic inspections of all motorized vehicles.
Establish and monitor a program for reporting and investigating “near miss” situations (someone was almost injured due to a hazardous condition).
Ensure each department is correctly maintaining OK300 log information and posting the annual summary from February 1st thru April 30th at each department location.
This is a lot of responsibility for one person. It must take some careful deliberation by the City Manager, Town Administrator, or Mayor when designating their municipality’s Safety Coordinator. We all face risk in our jobs every day. The position of Safety Coordinator is not a job to be taken lightly. Please make good choices when assigning this position and support and encourage those you choose to facilitate this very important job.
