Reason

In companies with over 20 employees, the Health and Safety Committee (ASA) meets at least once every three months. At this meeting, the employer, the specialist employee for occupational health and safety, the company physician, the safety officer, the works council and other specialists discuss occupational safety and health topics. The better the outcome of the solution-oriented exchange between the parties, the faster essential occupational safety and health targets can be achieved.

Aim

• Identification of deficiencies, detection of improvement potentials

• Specification of measures (enhancing strengths - reducing weaknesses)

• Check on effectiveness and "re-adjust", if necessary

Components of the meeting

1. 1.

   The meeting can be prepared using the ASA check1 1 Choose a special subject for the ASA meeting using the ASA checks. To work on the special topic effectively, data must be determined in advance. For the preparatory tasks, please refer to the upper box of the ASA check. Specify who can determine this data (e.g. number of accidents, analysis results). This data should then be available in the ASA meeting.

2. 2.

   Now, use the method of brainstorming meetings: As you have already chosen one subject to be discussed, you can directly start with step 3 "finding solutions".

3. 3.

   Specify a subject for the follow-up meeting: For this, you can deploy step 1 and 2 of the brainstorming meeting. Collecting information on the chosen subject can be carried out using the ASA check.

Potential pitfalls

	If the employer participates in the ASA meeting themselves, a situation might arise due to the hierarchical gap which does not allow for open discussion on problem-solving.
	Proposed solutions: The employer takes part but deliberately abstains from heading the meeting. The employer does not take part in the ASA meeting but appoints an authorized representative.
	The ASA members are unable to find a solution for a specific problem because they lack necessary information and detailed knowledge.
	Proposed solutions: The ASA members leave the conference room and continue the discussion at the problematic location, i.e. "on-site", for instance in the workshop or warehouse. The group of participants will be quickly expanded by employees who can contribute to solutions thanks to their practical expertise.