Through his involvement in national construction safety initiatives, Baker Group Safety Director Tracy Haus has seen what truly effective inhouse safety committees look like. “Ultimately, they promote a safety-first culture that reduces incidents, related costs and time delays,” Haus says. Those benefits compelled Haus to recently move most of Baker Group’s Safety Committee’s decision-making to field personnel.

Historically, Baker Group’s leadership comprised the Safety Committee, which provides guidance for the company’s safety programs. “Now, we have just one member from the Executive team. The other members are field personnel – foremen, journeymen, apprentices, etc. – who work alongside their peers. They know what needs to be done, are available on the jobsite to answer questions and help assure that safety procedures are followed – no matter how big or small the job,” Haus says.

As “owners” of the Safety Committee, the members are now rewriting the committee’s mission statement, goals, policies and procedures. The group’s responsibilities include reviewing and implementing new safety standards, advocating for safety in the field, and reporting and reviewing incidents.