Posted By Richard Is it my imagination, or is there a slow movement towards degradation of Safety Committees? Over the last two years, with two different employers, I have seen attempts to change the minutes because management didn't like what had been said, attempts to reduce the number of meetings to less than four a year, attempts to hold a meeting when more than half the workforce, including 50% of union safety reps, are on holiday, and dates of meetings changed at short notice because management members are on holiday. I managed to resist all except the last, but have I had bad luck, or have others experienced similar moves? Richard

Posted By Diane Warne As John says, the way to stop this happening is to have a robust constitution for the committee. To get this to happen you need strong management backup - I would guess that this is lacking where you are hence your problems. Is there a Director/senior manager in your organisation who has responsibilities in H&S matters? If so that person needs to be alerted to this problem with the committee and asked to provide some strong leadership.

Posted By Mark Large Sounds to me like a culture problem. I'd try to get to get the full costs of accidents across to this director. Also, sometimes it sharpens the mind of people if they realize they can personally be prosecuted for management failures that lead to accidents (albeit unlikely). That is often a lot more motivating than 'it will cost the company'. Consultation is a valuable tool for avoiding problems before they happen and so its in his interest.