A health and safety program, also commonly referred to as a safety and health program, provides a systematic approach for identifying workplace hazards, establishing safe work practices, training employees, and managing the policies and procedures needed to protect workers. An effective program should reflect the company’s actual operations, hazards, equipment, workforce, and regulatory requirements rather than relying on a generic set of safety policies.
A comprehensive health and safety program may include company-wide safety policies as well as individual programs addressing specific workplace hazards and activities. The programs needed will vary considerably depending on the type of business and the work employees perform.
What Is a Health and Safety Program?
A health and safety program is an organized system for managing workplace safety and health. It establishes responsibilities, procedures, training requirements, hazard controls, and documentation practices that help employers prevent injuries and illnesses and maintain compliance with applicable occupational safety and health requirements.
The written program is an important part of that system, but an effective health and safety program involves more than maintaining a safety manual. Employers must put their procedures into practice through employee training, workplace inspections, hazard assessments, Job Safety Analyses (JSAs/JHAs), safety meetings, corrective actions, incident investigations, and ongoing program review.
What Should a Health and Safety Program Include?
The contents of a health and safety program should be based on the employer’s operations and workplace hazards. Depending on the company, the program may address subjects such as:
- Management commitment and employee responsibilities
- Hazard identification and workplace inspections
- Job Safety Analysis and pre-task planning
- Employee safety training
- Incident reporting and investigation
- Emergency procedures and first aid
- Personal protective equipment
- Hazard Communication
- Lockout/Tagout
- Fall protection
- Respiratory protection
- Hearing conservation
- Electrical safety
- Fire prevention
- Equipment and vehicle safety
- Chemical and environmental hazards
- Recordkeeping and documentation
Additional written programs should be included when particular hazards, equipment, processes, or regulatory requirements apply to the workplace.
Health and Safety Programs Should Be Specific to the Company
There is no single health and safety program that is appropriate for every employer. A construction contractor, manufacturing facility, laboratory, healthcare provider, transportation company, and professional service business may all need very different policies and procedures.
The program should reflect the company’s:
- Industry and type of work
- Workplace hazards and employee exposures
- Equipment, machinery, tools, and vehicles
- Chemicals and hazardous materials
- Work locations and jobsite conditions
- Employee responsibilities and work practices
- Applicable OSHA and state-plan requirements
- Client, contractor, or third-party qualification requirements
As operations change, the program should also be reviewed and updated so that its policies and procedures continue to reflect the work being performed.
Written Programs Are Only Part of Workplace Safety
A written health and safety program establishes expectations and procedures, but implementation is what makes the program effective.
Employees need to understand the hazards associated with their work and the procedures established to control them. Employers should provide appropriate training, conduct inspections and hazard assessments, investigate incidents and near misses, correct identified deficiencies, and periodically evaluate whether their safety programs remain effective.
Supporting resources such as JSAs/JHAs, toolbox talks, safety forms, inspection checklists, training records, and employee safety handbooks can help turn the written program into an active workplace safety system.
Need a Customized Health and Safety Program?
Your safety program should reflect your company—not somebody else’s.
We can develop a customized Health and Safety Program based on your company’s operations, work activities, hazards, equipment, and applicable safety requirements. If you already have safety policies or procedures that you want to retain, we can review and incorporate applicable material into the new program.
Your proposal and draft are free. You can review your customized program before deciding whether to purchase it.
Need a Customized Health and Safety Program?
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