Connecticut Safety Committees: What you need to know

Connecticut's Employment Regulation law requires all private and public sector employers to develop safety committees at each worksite with 25 or more employees (31-40v-1 to 31-40v-11 RCSA).

Though establishment of such committees is not a federal requirement, many businesses maintain them even in states that do not require them in order to help improve their safety and health programs.  Many insurance companies offer benefit incentives or rate discounts for businesses with established safety and health committees.  Committee members develop or oversee development of safety and health programs, monitor and help implement program elements, and evaluate program progress.

Connecticut's Employment Regulation law requires all private and public sector employers to develop safety committees at each worksite with 25 or more employees (regular employees, excluding temporary and seasonal workers).  If an employer has 25 or more workers, but they don't report to work at a fixed location or they are scattered around at various worksites with fewer than 25 workers, then the employer must have a single, centralized committee.  Employers of any size must have committees if their injury and illness rate exceeds the average for all industries in the state.

Committee functions.  Safety and health committees must establish procedures for sharing ideas with the employer concerning:

• Safety inspections
• Investigating occupational accidents and illnesses
• Evaluating accident and illness prevention programs
• Establishing training programs to identify and reduce hazards that damage employee reproductive systems, and assist committee members in understanding the effects of employee substance abuse on ...