Updated August 08, 2023
A safety meeting agenda serves as a supplemental document to guide a safety meeting in which individuals gather and discuss matters of safety in a workplace or in another space. Agendas lay forth all the items that are to be discussed throughout the entirety of the meeting; if and when necessary, agendas also set aside time for votes on resolutions and the approval of meeting minutes. Those individuals in attendance can utilize the agenda as a reference in order to follow along with the matters at hand. This way, attendees can stay on track throughout the meeting and anticipate the item on the agenda where their contribution is needed or encouraged.
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Formatting (7 parts)
The agenda’s formatting may vary depending on the nature of the safety meeting. Whether it is to address safety issues or communicate new safety protocols, the following format is a general template that can be followed. Items can be altered or added/omitted at the discretion of the individual tasked with creating the agenda.
I. Meeting Details
The safety meeting’s organizer shall include general meeting details on the agenda, such as date, time, and location. A dial-in number or URL can also be provided if the meeting will occur online through video-conferencing applications.
Agenda may be distributed before the meeting in order to allow invitees to review said meeting details as well as look over all the stipulated items of discussion.
II. Take Attendance
Attendees and absentees can be recorded after taking a standard roll call upon the start of the meeting.
III. Opening
The first order of business should introduce the purpose of the meeting and overview the agenda’s items. Therefore, the meeting leader can open by briefly stating the primary objective of the meeting while summarizing the affairs on the docket.
IV. Address Safety Topic(s)
Safety meetings usually address safety concerns or serve as a refresher to safety protocol and procedures. Regardless of the nature of the meeting, an item on the agenda must be reserved to address the primary safety topic in question. It is during this item where the agenda contains its main focus/es; accordingly, this item usually takes up most of the meeting time.
V. Round-Robin for Questions / Concerns
After the topic of safety is addressed, it is crucial to open the floor for any questions or concerns in order to avoid confusion. An effective way to do this involves each attendee chiming in with their input on the matters in a roundtable or round-robin fashion. Doing so keeps the meeting dynamic– and less like a lecture on safety– while engaging attendees to participate by contributing to the meeting.
Having this item on the agenda will also encourage attendees to reserve their questions until the allocated time for an open forum.
VI. Resolutions
In some cases, meetings surrounding the safety of a workplace involve making decisions or settling on certain proposed resolutions. The agenda may include an item in which these decisions can be resolved and discussed. Though optional, resolutions can also be put to a vote among all the attendees when applicable.
VII. Conclusion
The meeting shall adjourn upon the set end-time or at the discretion of the meeting’s leader. If necessary, attendees can use this item on the agenda to approve meeting minutes.
Sample – Safety Meeting Agenda
Download: PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument
