Have you established a working safety program within your organization? Chesapeake Employers Insurance provides a 10-step reference guide to help create an effective safety program for your general industry business.
- Ensure management commitment to safety. Setting an example of commitment and involvement is key to creating a positive safety culture throughout your organization.
- Designate responsibility for your safety program. It is best to designate a specific person to be responsible for creating, implementing, and managing the program. This person should be qualified and have experience to do the job. A safety committee should also be added.
- Determine the safety and health-related regulatory requirements for your industry. The safety program must be specific to the site and operations. Considerations regarding the size of the company, operations and exposures, incident trend reviews, personnel capabilities, and OSHA and specific state regulations are necessary.
- Conduct a hazard assessment of your workplace. Analyze hazards, exposure, and losses to develop a baseline that will be used to identify and prioritize safety needs. Use process flows, checklists, floor plans, job safety analysis’, and equipment manuals to perform an effective assessment.
- Develop a written safety policy. Create a safety policy statement that stresses your company’s commitment to promoting safety. Management should then communicate with employees the intent of the policy, their responsibilities for complying with the policy, and enforcement procedures. The policy should include compliance measures, education and safety training, and processes to correct/reduce hazards.
- Ensure two-way communication about safety. Communication travels in both directions: management to employees and employees to management.
- Correct identified hazards. Once identified, hazards should be handled in a timely manner and documented until final solution is in place. Consider using the NIOSH’s Hierarchy of Hazard Controls as a standard practice. This is a widely accepted system used to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards.
- Regularly train employees on safety. Always provide and document job safety training for employees. Documentation should include date, training topic, list of employees in attendance, and employee signatures. OSHA standards require training on emergency plans, fire protection plans, personal protective equipment, and the “Right to Know law.”
- Keep your workplace hazard-free. Once hazards are corrected, take steps to ensure the workplace remains hazard-free. This may include developing work practices, admin controls, work rules, and emergency procedures.
- Regularly review your safety program and keep it up-to-date. The safety program should be reviewed at least annually or in the event of change in conditions or following an incident that exposes another hazard.
Find a printable version of the Chesapeake Employers guide with detailed steps here. #BeSure you make safety a priority!
