Workplace safety committee members reviewing hazards and risk controls during practical training

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Safety and Health Committee Training in Kenya

A workplace safety and health committee should do more than hold meetings and record minutes. An effective committee helps management and employees identify hazards, investigate incidents, review workplace conditions and monitor corrective actions. Its members provide an important link between the people who make workplace decisions and the employees who encounter hazards during daily operations.

Committee members cannot perform these responsibilities effectively when they have not been trained. They may struggle to conduct inspections, evaluate risks, investigate incidents or recommend practical controls. Safety and health committee training gives members the knowledge and skills required to participate meaningfully in workplace safety management.

This guide explains the legal requirements for occupational safety and health committee training in Kenya, the role of the committee, what members should learn and how employers can strengthen committee performance.

What Is a Workplace Safety and Health Committee

A workplace safety and health committee is a group consisting of representatives from management and employees. It provides a structured forum for consultation, cooperation and decision-making on matters affecting workplace safety, health and welfare.

The committee allows workers to raise safety concerns while giving management a formal process for reviewing those concerns and taking appropriate action.

·         Unsafe workplace conditions

·         Employee safety complaints

·         Workplace injuries and near misses

·         Occupational illnesses

·         Fire and emergency preparedness

·         Machinery and equipment safety

·         Chemical handling

·         Personal protective equipment

·         Workplace inspections

·         Employee training

·         Outstanding corrective actions

The committee supports the employer’s safety responsibilities. It does not replace the occupier, safety officer, supervisor or other persons responsible for managing workplace risks.

Is a Safety and Health Committee Required in Kenya

Section 9 of Kenya’s Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 requires an occupier to establish a safety and health committee where twenty or more people are employed at the workplace, or where the Director of Occupational Safety and Health Services directs the workplace to establish one.

The Factories and Other Places of Work Safety and Health Committees Rules, 2004 provide detailed requirements concerning the formation, composition, organization and functions of workplace committees.

Although the Rules generally apply to workplaces with at least 20 employees, smaller organizations can still benefit from an appropriate employee consultation process. A smaller workplace may also be required to form a committee when directed by DOSHS.

Who Should Serve on the Committee

A safety and health committee should have fair representation from management and workers. Worker representatives should be elected by employees, while management representatives are appointed by the occupier. Representation should consider the different departments, work areas, shifts and hazards found at the workplace. Gender representation should also be considered.

The occupier or an authorized representative serves as the committee chairperson. A competent member of management should also be appointed to act as the committee secretary and coordinate safety, health and welfare matters. Members normally serve a three-year term and may be eligible for a further term.

What Is Safety and Health Committee Training

Safety and health committee training is a structured occupational safety and health course that prepares committee members to understand and perform their responsibilities. The course introduces members to the legal framework, common workplace hazards, accident prevention, inspections, risk assessment and committee administration.

According to DOSHS, the prescribed training is required under Rule 12 of the Safety and Health Committees Rules, 2004. DOSHS states that it should consist of 30 contact hours, be completed within six months of the committee’s establishment, and remain valid for three years.

Organizations should engage a DOSHS-approved training institution and maintain evidence of the training completed by committee members.

Why Committee Members Need Training

Appointment to a committee does not automatically provide the knowledge required to manage workplace safety matters. Training gives members a common understanding of workplace safety and helps management and worker representatives discuss problems using the same terminology and decision-making process.

·         Conduct inspections without recognizing significant hazards

·         Concentrate only on visible housekeeping problems

·         Confuse hazards with risks

·         Recommend personal protective equipment before considering stronger controls

·         Record incidents without investigating their causes

·         Hold meetings without following up agreed actions

·         Fail to understand the employer’s legal responsibilities

·         Produce minutes that do not clearly assign responsibilities

What Safety Committee Training Should Cover

Occupational safety and health legislation

Members should understand the main requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Safety and Health Committees Rules. Training should explain the duties of occupiers and employees, the role of DOSHS, accident reporting, workplace inspection and the rights and responsibilities of committee members.

Roles of the committee

Members should understand what the committee is expected to do and the limits of its authority. Responsibilities include workplace inspections, hazard identification, incident investigation, review of employee complaints, safety education and monitoring corrective actions.

Hazard identification and risk assessment

Members should learn to recognize physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical, ergonomic, psychosocial, fire and environmental hazards. They should also understand how to assess risk and apply the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

Workplace inspection

Training should cover inspection planning, use of checklists, observation of work, employee consultation, clear recording of findings, assignment of actions and verification of completed work. The committee should establish an annual inspection schedule and inspect the workplace at least once every three months.

Accident and incident investigation

Members should know how to gather information, interview affected persons, distinguish immediate causes from underlying causes, recommend corrective measures and monitor implementation. The purpose is to prevent recurrence rather than simply assign blame.

Occupational health and workplace welfare

The course should address noise, dust, fumes, hazardous substances, ventilation, manual handling, ergonomics, lighting, heat, psychosocial concerns, sanitation, welfare facilities and medical surveillance where appropriate.

Emergency preparedness

Members should understand fire prevention, alarms, exits, evacuation routes, assembly points, first aid, spill response, emergency roles, assistance for visitors and review of emergency drills.

Committee meetings and record keeping

Members should learn how to prepare agendas, review minutes, prioritize concerns, assign actions, set completion dates and communicate decisions. Records should include appointments, training certificates, minutes, inspections, investigations, complaints and corrective actions.

Key Functions of an Effective Committee

Conduct regular inspections. Follow an annual schedule and inspect workplace conditions at least quarterly. Higher-risk areas may require more frequent attention.

Investigate incidents. Examine accidents and dangerous occurrences promptly and recommend measures that address their underlying causes.

Identify workplace hazards. Use employee experience, inspections, risk assessments and incident information to identify unsafe conditions and practices.

Review employee concerns. Provide workers with a reliable channel for reporting hazards and welfare concerns.

Advise management. Submit clear recommendations supported by workplace observations, evidence and an understanding of risk.

Monitor corrective actions. Confirm that assigned actions are completed and that they address the original problem.

Promote safety awareness. Communicate procedures, organize awareness activities and encourage employees to report hazards.

What Makes a Safety Committee Effective

·         Management support through adequate time, information and resources

·         Active worker participation and regular consultation with employees

·         Clear responsibilities for individual members and the committee

·         Regular meetings based on an agreed schedule

·         Access to risk assessments, audits, incidents and monitoring results

·         Prompt correction of serious hazards

·         Routine review of outstanding actions and verification of completed work

·         Refresher training when certification expires or workplace risks change

Common Safety Committee Weaknesses

Organizations may formally establish committees but fail to make them operational. Common weaknesses include:

·         Members who have not completed prescribed training

·         Poor representation of departments or shifts

·         Meetings held only before an audit or inspection

·         Missing or incomplete meeting minutes

·         No annual inspection schedule

·         Repeated findings with no corrective action

·         Recommendations without responsible persons or deadlines

·         Limited employee awareness of the committee

·         Accident investigations focused on blaming workers

·         Management failing to respond to recommendations

·         Departed members who have not been replaced

·         Expired training certificates

How Employers Can Prepare for Committee Training

1.      Confirm whether the committee has been properly constituted.

2.      Review the number and representation of members.

3.      Ensure worker representatives have been elected appropriately.

4.      Confirm management representatives, the chairperson and committee secretary.

5.      Identify members who require initial or refresher training.

6.      Engage a DOSHS-approved training institution.

7.      Allocate sufficient time for the prescribed course.

8.      Provide information about the organization’s activities and hazards.

9.      Retain attendance records and certificates.

10.  Develop a post-training action plan.

Where possible, practical exercises should reflect the organization’s actual workplace. Members learn more effectively when they apply inspection, hazard-identification and investigation techniques to familiar activities.

Practical Employer Checklist

☐ A safety and health committee has been established where required.

☐ Management and workers are fairly represented.

☐ Major departments, work areas and shifts are represented.

☐ The chairperson and committee secretary have been identified.

☐ All members have completed the prescribed training.

☐ Training was delivered by an approved institution.

☐ Training certificates are current.

☐ The committee has an annual meeting programme.

☐ An annual workplace inspection schedule is available.

☐ Inspections are conducted at least quarterly.

☐ Accidents and dangerous occurrences are investigated.

☐ Employee safety complaints are reviewed.

☐ Minutes assign actions, responsible persons and deadlines.

☐ Management responds to committee recommendations.

☐ Completed corrective actions are verified.

☐ Committee records are properly maintained.

☐ Employees know their committee representatives.

Any unchecked or uncertain item should be reviewed and converted into a corrective action.

Benefits of Safety and Health Committee Training

Proper training develops internal capacity for workplace safety management and helps the committee solve problems before they lead to injury, illness or operational disruption.

·         Support compliance with applicable occupational safety requirements

·         Improve hazard identification and risk control

·         Strengthen communication between employees and management

·         Improve workplace inspections and incident investigations

·         Increase employee participation in safety decisions

·         Maintain more reliable committee and corrective-action records

·         Monitor unresolved workplace risks

How Safetec Solutions Limited Can Help

Safetec Solutions Limited provides professional Occupational Safety and Health Committee Training for organizations in Kenya. The training equips management and worker representatives with practical knowledge of Kenyan occupational safety and health requirements, committee roles, risk assessment, inspections, incident investigation, occupational health, emergency preparedness, meetings and corrective-action monitoring.

Safetec can also support organizations with OSH audits, workplace inspections, risk assessments, fire-safety services, first aid training and related workplace safety requirements.

Does your safety committee have the knowledge and practical skills required to perform its responsibilities? Contact Safetec Solutions Limited to discuss committee training for your organization.

Visit www.safetec.co.ke  |  Call +254 731 789 916 or +254 748 465 888 | Email admin@safetec.co.ke

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workplaces require a safety and health committee in Kenya

Section 9 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires a committee where 20 or more people are employed. DOSHS may also direct another workplace to establish one.

Is training compulsory for committee members

Yes. Rule 12 of the Safety and Health Committees Rules provides for basic occupational safety and health training for committee members. DOSHS describes it as prescribed training.

How long is OSH committee training

DOSHS states that the prescribed course should take 30 contact hours.

When should committee members be trained

DOSHS states that members should undergo the training within six months after the committee is established.

How long is the training valid

DOSHS indicates that the training is valid for three years. Organizations should monitor certification dates and arrange refresher training when necessary.

Who should conduct the training

Organizations should use a training institution approved by the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services.

How often should the committee inspect the workplace

The committee should establish an annual inspection schedule and conduct workplace safety and health inspections at least once every three months.

Does training transfer the employer’s responsibilities

No. The committee supports consultation, inspections, investigations and recommendations. The occupier or employer remains responsible for providing and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

What records should the committee maintain

Important records include appointment and election documents, certificates, meeting minutes, inspection reports, incident investigations, complaints and corrective-action records.

References

·         Occupational Safety and Health Act 2007 Kenya Law

·         DOSHS Occupational Safety and Health Committee Training

·         DOSHS Services

·         Ministry of Labour Occupational Safety and Health Services

·         International Labour Organization Occupational Safety and Health

·         Safetec Solutions Limited