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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 8 (December 1, 1928)

Safety Committee Meetings — How To Conduct Them

page 57

Safety Committee Meetings
How To Conduct Them

The following extracts are taken from a publication issued by the National Safety Council of America and will, no doubt, be found of interest in regard to the work of our own Safety Committees:—

“There are all sorts of safety committee meetings—some of them are like funerals, some merely debating societies, some are very effective. If they are too “dead” they bury the enthusiasm of the safety movement under the sod; if they are debating societies, they bury it under an avalanche of words; if they are effective, they put the red blood of success into every artery of safety work. A “dead” committee can't have a “live” meeting; a thoughtless committee can't have an intelligent meeting.

A rapid-fire, aggressive, enthusiastic meeting can be produced only by men who believe in the work they are doing, and who are determined to make it a success.

Officialism and red-tape must be put in the background and co-operation must stand out as predominant. The chairman must exercise a fine discretion in curbing unprofitable discussion on the one hand, without, on the other, discouraging freedom of action along lines properly within the scope of the committee.

The chairman is the key to the situation. He can either make or ruin the success of the meeting. If he can impress the men with his sincerity of purpose, that he is heart and soul with them in the fight against avoidable accidents, that, in fact, he is the best “safety man” on the committee; if he will greet the members cordially, make them feel at home, exercise friendly tact in drawing out the best that is in them, and thus create an environment of good fellowship and co-operation in the humane work that is set before him, he will do more than any other man can do to make the meetings interesting and profitable. If, on the other hand, he is cold and indifferent, narrow in his views, official in his bearing and unresponsive to the suggestions offered, he can “kill” the meetings and with them the vital spark of the whole safety movement.

The presiding officer should prepare the programme or, at least, sketch out the salient points for discussion. He should so sub-divide his subjects as to draw into the discussion all the men attending, and should also encourage them to accept responsibility in making the meetings and the safety work successful.

page 58