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Business Conference

What is a Field Federal Safety and Health Council?

FFSHCs strive to reduce the incidence, severity, and cost of accidents, injuries, and illnesses within the Federal Government. They are established throughout the United States to promote and assist with cooperative exchanges of occupational safety and health information among local Federal Agencies.

Team Meeting

It's all About Relationships

Each FFSHC acts on behalf of the Secretary of Labor by carrying out efforts to improve the effectiveness of Federal entity safety and health functions within its designated geographic area by:

  1. Acting as a clearinghouse for all types of safety and health information, including data on occupational accidents, injuries, illnesses, and injury and illness prevention.

  2. Planning, organizing, and conducting meetings or training sessions that provide technical advice and information on occupational safety and health to representatives of participating organizations.

  3. Promoting improvement of safety and health programs in Federal agencies represented on the FFSHC or participating in FFSHC activities.

  4. Promoting coordination, cooperation, and resource and expertise sharing to aid agencies with inadequate or limited resources.

  5. Providing information on administrative and technical aspects of safety and health programs to Federal Executive Boards (FEBs), Federal Executive Associations (FEAs), labor union organizations, and other employee representatives.

  6. Evaluating safety and health problems particular to local conditions and facilitating solutions through FFSHC activities.

  7. Developing cooperative relationships with local community leaders by informing them of FFSHC functions and objectives and by inviting them to support and participate in FFSHC meetings and activities.

Are you Eligible to Join the Council?

  • Federal Agency Participation.
    29 CFR 1960.84(b) permits Federal agency heads to define which of their field activities will participate in FFSHC meetings and events. It is the Federal agency's decision to participate in and support an FFSHC.

  • Federal Employees.
    29 CFR 1960.88(c) requires participating Federal agency heads to appoint an equal number of officially designated representatives (and designated alternates) from management and non-management groups, consistent with applicable collective bargaining arrangements.

    1. Representative members are selected from the following categories:

      • Federal occupational safety and health professionals.

      • Related Federal professionals or collateral duty personnel. This includes persons employed in professions or occupations related to or concerned with the safety and health of employees.

      • Line management officials.

      • Representatives of recognized Federal labor or other employee organizations identified in accordance with 29 CFR 1960.68, who are employees of the agency.

    2. Records. The Chairperson should receive written notification of Federal agency appointments of official members and alternates to the FFSHC. The FFSHC Secretary must maintain and periodically update records of such appointments.

    3. Voting Privileges. Only officially designated Federal agency members or their alternates have voting privileges.

    4. Travel Funds must be available equally to management and non-management members.

  • Representatives from non-Federal organizations.
    Those who have demonstrated an interest in occupational safety and health may be granted associate membership. An Associate (non-Federal) Member may attend any FFSHC meeting that is open to the public, but has no voting rights and may not hold any office or serve as a committee member.

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