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Caswell County forms employee safety committee after OSHA review
Summary
The county created a multi-department safety committee to update the safety manual, improve training and conduct workplace inspections; the board approved a slate of employee members and asked staff to return with deliverables.
Caswell County commissioners voted on July 21 to form a new employee safety committee tasked with revising the county safety manual, developing safety programs and conducting workplace inspections and incident investigations. The committee was created in response to recent Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) activity and an internal recognition that county safety procedures needed updating.
County Manager Scott Whitaker presented a proposed slate of employee members from multiple departments and said the group should meet monthly during working hours. "I would like for this committee, if you approve it, to begin in August," Whitaker said. He recommended a committee composed of employees who have already been vetted by the county rather than a mixture of employees and outside citizens.
The proposed members (employee representatives) listed in the packet and presented to the board were Clayton Myers (sheriff’s office), Jennifer Eastwood (health), R. D. Hayes (maintenance), A.J. Fuqua (solid waste), Kenneth Everett (9-1-1 communications), John Yarbrough (emergency management), Donnie Powell (central permitting) and Melissa Williamson (manager’s office/admin). Whitaker said the committee’s initial deliverables would include a revised safety manual, safety training programs and a plan for workplace inspections; subcommittees could address targeted functions.
The board approved formation of the committee on a motion from Commissioner Claggett with a second from Commissioner Rose. Whitaker said the county is still awaiting the final OSHA report; inspectors completed employee interviews earlier and staff expects the final report soon. The manager suggested that having a committee in place could be viewed positively when responding to the OSHA findings and would speed implementation of corrective measures.
Action summary: board approved the formation of an employee safety committee, accepted the slate of employee members presented by the manager, and directed staff to bring committee-developed policies and training back to the board. The committee will begin work on deliverables including a new safety manual, safety training plans and a schedule for workplace inspections; the exact inspection frequency was left for the committee to propose.
