Safety Committees - Best Practices

Safety Committees: Best Practices in Montana Schools

By Shawn Bubb, MTSBA/MSGIA Director of Insurance Services

Creating a strong safety culture in a school district can prevent accidents, reduce costs, and build trust among staff, students, and the community. An integral part of the culture is having a highly engaged safety committee that plays both proactive (prevention) and reactive (responding to incidents) role.

The Montana Safety Culture Act requires a school district, regardless of the number of employees, to provide:

  • New employee workplace safety orientation training
  • Job or task specific safety training
  • Refresher safety training for all staff
  • Periodic safety meetings
  • Periodic hazard assessments

If a school district has more than five (5) employees, the following also applies:

  • A formal safety committee made up of employees and employer representatives that meet at least once every four months.
  • Procedures for reporting and investigating workplace accidents are in place and employees are informed of the procedures.
  • Provide clear expectations for job safety responsibilities and safety performance.

Here are some suggested activities and functions for school district safety committee to perform during the school year.

1. Conduct Regular Safety Audits & Inspections

  • School District Staff or Workers’ Compensation Carrier Risk Manager Walkthroughs: Perform routine inspections of classrooms, gyms, cafeterias, playgrounds, and maintenance areas to identify hazards like trip/fall risks, chemical storage issues, and faulty equipment.
  • Checklists: Use safety checklists tailored for schools. The MSGIA has thorough self-inspection checklists for school district staff to use in the areas of general building safety inspections, kitchen and food preparation areas, and playgrounds.
  • Corrective Actions: Create a system for tracking and closing out hazards identified by staff and carrier risk management representatives.

2. Review Workplace Accident Reports

  • Trend Analysis: Review injury/accident data (slips, trips, strains, student-related incidents, etc.) and identify root causes.  Involve your workers’ compensation provider to help with the data analysis and communicate these results to the committee and employee sub-groups as appropriate.
  • Near-Miss Reporting: Encourage staff to report “close calls” so hazards can be addressed by building level staff before an accident occurs.  This is a higher level of proactive behavior that the highly functioning school safety cultures see as a must have.
  • Feedback Loop: Report findings and actions back to staff to build accountability and trust.  This feedback can be a quick update at periodic building level meetings by the safety committee representatives.

3. Training & Education

  • Annual Safety Training: All staff benefit from continuous training on topics such as hazard recognition, emergency procedures, ergonomics, bloodborne pathogens, safe lifting, playground supervision, etc.  Work with our insurance services staff and your district’s HR staff (if available), to identify the required annual job-specific safety training, as well as other pertinent topics.  Custodians, kitchen staff, transportation staff, and science lab teachers should receive targeted training for their work.
  • As a part of your comprehensive approach to injury and illness prevention, these training courses can be scheduled either through the on-line modules with Safe Schools, and/or in-person workshops delivered by the insurance services staff for the identified topics

4. Emergency Preparedness

  • Drills:
    • Review and revise (as needed) emergency procedures. SB213, passed in 2023, during the 68th legislative session, requires Montana school districts to annually review safety or emergency operations plans.  It also references a district’s need to adopt a student behavioral threat assessment model, provide staff training on the model, and to form a threat assessment team that meets periodically during the year.
    • Practice the required eight (8) disaster drills.
    • Practice the required two (2) school bus evacuation drills (all students)
      • First drill within the first two weeks of school
      • Second drill withing the first week of the second semester
    •  The Montana Office of Public Instruction has a variety of resources to assist districts.
  • First Aid & CPR: Train staff in CPR, First Aid, and AED use. MTSBA Model Policy 8450 regarding AEDs is a useful resource.
  • Crisis Communication: Ensure clear procedures are in place for internal and external communication during emergencies.  Remember that membership in the MSGIA WC pool provides partial reimbursement for our members who utilize Emergency Operations Management (EOM) apps that meet four identified app criteria, to support their emergency operation plans and training efforts.  In addition, work comp pool members have access to SEC, a school security company, for crisis management support if needed during the school year.  The MTSBA legal group is also a strong resource for a range of crisis communication matters.  The depth and scope of resources available is good news for schools!

5. Promote a Safety Culture

  • Safety Recognition Program: Recognize departments or individuals for proactive safety behavior (reporting hazards, suggesting improvements).  This is a visible opportunity for the safety committee to acknowledge staff who are making an effort resulting in positive outcomes and to reaffirm safe actions.  Talk with your workers’ compensation provider, the MSGIA, to explore financial or other recognition support for these types of programs within member schools.
  • “Safety Moment” at Meetings: Begin staff meetings with a short safety tip or incident review (using information found in the MSGIA monthly safety emails is an easy starting point).
  • Anonymous Reporting: Provide a way for staff to report concerns without fear of reprisal.

6. Focus on High-Risk Areas

  • Bus & Transportation Safety: Conduct regular bus safety checks and driver training (all drivers are required to have 15 hours of annual training).
  • Custodial & Maintenance Hazards: Address chemical handling and storage, ladder use, confined spaces, clutter around and inside your buildings, etc.
  • Winter Hazards: Communicate regularly with employees about coming to and leaving school, wearing footwear appropriate for the weather, and securing any items that need to be carried (ie…backpacks, purses, etc).  The morning hours are the most hazardous time of day for school district employees.
  • Ergonomics: Evaluate office setups, lifting procedures, and technology use, to reduce strains and repetitive stress injuries.  Generally, remind staff to be thoughtful about their work, slow down, and break up large jobs into smaller more manageable tasks.

7. Policy & Compliance Review

  • Update District Safety Policies: Ensure policies and procedures align with the Montana Safety Culture Act, Montana Code Annotated, and district safety standards.  The MTSBA legal group is available to assist you with your policy needs.
  • Return-to-Work Programs: Support injured employees’ safe transition back to work.
  • Safety Committee Documentation: Post and retain minutes, agendas, and action items for accountability.  The Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) will regularly ask for this type of documentation. Develop a sound record-keeping system for your safety committee and be consistent.

Key Takeaway: A school district safety committee should not just be reactive. By analyzing trends, training staff, and promoting open communication, they can prevent incidents and embed safety as part of everyday school culture. Return to newsletter