Safety Plan Template

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Start by creating your safety policy. See the sample below.

This Safety Plan Template is provided as a customizable framework to help employers organize workplace safety responsibilities, hazard controls, training, emergency procedures, inspections, and documentation. It should be tailored to the company’s operations, workforce, equipment, work locations, and applicable federal, state, local, client, and site-specific requirements.

 

Company and Plan Information

Company Name: [Enter Company Name]

Project / Work Location: [Enter Project or Location]

Plan Administrator: [Enter Name / Title]

Effective Date: [Enter Date]

Revision Date: [Enter Date]

Emergency Contact: [Enter Name / Number]

 

Safety and Health Policy

It is the policy of this company to provide and maintain a safe and healthful workplace for all employees and to comply with applicable federal, state, and local safety and health requirements.

The company has established and will maintain a Safety and Health Program designed to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses by providing employees with the training, resources, and guidance necessary to recognize hazards, follow safe work practices, and correct or report unsafe conditions.

Safety is an integral part of every employee’s job. All employees are expected to actively participate in the Safety and Health Program, follow established safety procedures, use required protective measures, and promptly report unsafe conditions, unsafe work practices, incidents, and hazards.

No employee is expected to perform work when an uncontrolled hazard presents a serious risk to their safety or the safety of others. Employees are encouraged to stop work and notify their supervisor whenever a hazardous condition cannot be safely corrected or controlled.

Safety is a core company value and is equally important as quality, productivity, and customer service. No job is so urgent or important that it cannot be performed safely.

Our goal is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents through effective planning, hazard identification and control, employee involvement, training, and continuous improvement. Because workplace conditions and hazards can change, maintaining safety requires the active participation and awareness of every employee, every day.

 

Purpose

The purpose of this Safety Plan is to establish a consistent approach for identifying and controlling workplace hazards, preventing occupational injuries and illnesses, communicating safety expectations, and providing employees with the information, training, equipment, and supervision necessary to perform their work safely.

 

Scope

This plan applies to employees, temporary employees, and other personnel under the company’s direction who perform work at company facilities, projects, jobsites, or other work locations. Contractors and subcontractors shall comply with applicable regulatory, contractual, client, and site-specific safety requirements.

Where a client, host employer, or site-specific safety program establishes requirements that are more stringent than this plan, the more protective requirement should be followed unless otherwise prohibited.

 

Responsibilities

Management

• Provide leadership, resources, and support necessary to implement the Safety Plan.
• Establish safety expectations and ensure applicable written programs and procedures are maintained.
• Provide appropriate training, tools, equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Ensure identified hazards and corrective actions are addressed in a timely manner.
• Review safety performance and revise the plan when operations, hazards, or requirements change.

Supervisors

• Communicate safety requirements to employees and enforce established procedures.
• Evaluate work activities and workplace conditions before work begins.
• Conduct or coordinate pre-task planning, JSAs/JHAs, inspections, and safety meetings as appropriate.
• Ensure employees are trained and authorized for assigned work.
• Correct unsafe conditions and stop work when hazards cannot be adequately controlled.
• Report and investigate incidents, injuries, near misses, and identified hazards as required.

Employees

• Follow established safety procedures, training, permits, JSAs/JHAs, and supervisor instructions.
• Use required PPE and safety equipment correctly.
• Inspect tools and equipment before use and report defects.
• Promptly report unsafe conditions, near misses, injuries, illnesses, spills, and incidents.
• Do not perform work for which required training, qualification, or authorization has not been provided.
• Stop work and notify supervision when conditions present an uncontrolled or imminent hazard.

 

Hazard Identification and Assessment

Workplace hazards shall be identified and evaluated before work begins and as conditions change. Hazard assessments should consider routine and non-routine work, equipment, materials, energy sources, environmental conditions, employee exposure, simultaneous operations, and foreseeable emergencies.

Hazard-identification methods may include:

• Pre-job and pre-task planning.
• Job Safety Analyses / Job Hazard Analyses (JSA/JHA).
• Workplace and equipment inspections.
• Employee observations and reports.
• Incident and near-miss investigations.
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) review.
• Manufacturer instructions and equipment manuals.
• Client and site-specific hazard assessments.

 

Hazard Prevention and Control

Identified hazards shall be eliminated or controlled using the most effective feasible methods. Controls should be selected using the hierarchy of controls whenever appropriate.

Preferred control methods include:

• Elimination of the hazard.
• Substitution with a less hazardous process, material, or method.
• Engineering controls that isolate employees from the hazard.
• Administrative controls, procedures, scheduling, signage, and safe work practices.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) when hazards remain after other controls or when otherwise required.

Temporary controls shall not replace permanent corrective action when a more effective long-term control is reasonably available.

 

Job Safety Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis

A JSA/JHA should be completed for tasks involving significant hazards, non-routine work, new or changed operations, or whenever additional pre-task planning is warranted. The analysis should break the job into logical steps, identify potential hazards associated with each step, and establish the controls required to perform the work safely.

The JSA/JHA shall be reviewed with affected employees before work begins and revised when the scope, equipment, materials, work methods, site conditions, or hazards change.

 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Required PPE shall be selected based on the hazards of the work and applicable requirements. Employees shall be trained in the proper selection, use, limitations, inspection, care, storage, and disposal of PPE.

• Inspect PPE before use.
• Remove damaged or defective PPE from service.
• Use PPE appropriate to the identified hazard.
• Do not modify PPE contrary to manufacturer instructions.
• Maintain PPE in a clean and sanitary condition.
• Report PPE fit, condition, or availability concerns to supervision.

 

Training and Competency

Employees shall receive safety training appropriate to their assigned duties and workplace exposures. Training shall be provided before employees perform work requiring specific knowledge, qualification, authorization, or competency and shall be repeated or supplemented when required.

Training may include:

• New-hire and site orientation.
• Hazard Communication and SDS access.
• PPE.
• Emergency procedures.
• Tools, machinery, vehicles, and mobile equipment.
• Fall protection, ladders, and scaffolds.
• Electrical safety and hazardous-energy control.
• Excavation, confined space, hot work, or other specialized activities.
• Task-specific JSAs/JHAs and safe work procedures.

Training shall be documented in accordance with applicable requirements and company procedures.

 

Safety Meetings and Communication

Safety information shall be communicated to employees through orientation, training, toolbox talks, pre-task meetings, postings, written procedures, JSAs/JHAs, and other appropriate methods.

Employees shall be encouraged to ask questions, report hazards, recommend improvements, and participate in workplace safety activities. Safety concerns should be addressed promptly and without retaliation for good-faith reporting.

 

Inspections

Work areas, tools, equipment, and safety systems shall be inspected at a frequency appropriate to the hazards and applicable requirements. Inspections should identify unsafe conditions, verify compliance with established controls, and document corrective actions.

Inspection documentation should identify:

• Date and location of the inspection.
• Person conducting the inspection.
• Hazards or deficiencies identified.
• Required corrective action.
• Person responsible for correction.
• Target and completion dates, where appropriate.
• Verification that corrective action was completed.

 

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Employees shall be informed of emergency procedures applicable to their work location. Emergency arrangements should address foreseeable events and identify appropriate communication, evacuation, accountability, medical, fire, spill, rescue, and emergency-response procedures.

Emergency Information:

Emergency Number: [Enter Number]

Nearest Medical Facility: [Enter Facility / Address]

Assembly Area: [Enter Location]

First-Aid Kit Location: [Enter Location]

Fire Extinguisher Location(s): [Enter Locations]

Emergency Coordinator: [Enter Name / Contact]

 

Incident, Injury, and Near-Miss Reporting

Work-related injuries, illnesses, exposures, near misses, vehicle accidents, spills, property damage, and other safety incidents shall be reported promptly. Emergency medical treatment shall not be delayed to complete internal reporting.

Incidents should be investigated to identify immediate and underlying contributing factors and to determine appropriate corrective actions. Investigations should focus on preventing recurrence rather than assigning blame.

 

Hazard Communication

Employees who work with or may be exposed to hazardous chemicals shall receive appropriate Hazard Communication information and training. Required chemical labels shall be maintained, and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) shall be readily accessible during the work shift.

SDS Location / Access Method: [Enter Location or Method]

Hazard Communication Coordinator: [Enter Name / Title]

 

Housekeeping and Material Storage

• Keep work areas, aisles, stairs, exits, and access routes orderly and unobstructed.
• Promptly clean or control spills and other slip or trip hazards.
• Store materials to prevent falling, rolling, shifting, or collapse.
• Keep emergency, electrical, and fire-protection equipment accessible.
• Dispose of scrap, debris, and waste in designated containers.
• Maintain adequate access and clearance around active work areas.

 

Tools, Equipment, and Machinery

• Use tools and equipment only for their intended purpose and in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
• Inspect tools and equipment before use.
• Remove defective or unsafe equipment from service.
• Keep required guards and protective devices in place.
• Use appropriate energy-control procedures before servicing or maintenance.
• Permit operation only by trained and authorized personnel where required.

 

Electrical and Energy Control

Electrical hazards and other hazardous energy sources shall be identified and controlled before employees perform work that could expose them to unexpected energization, startup, or release of stored energy.

• Use required grounding, GFCI protection, guarding, covers, and suitable electrical equipment.
• Inspect cords, plugs, tools, and temporary wiring before use.
• Maintain required clearances from energized electrical hazards.
• Apply lockout/tagout or other required hazardous-energy controls before servicing and maintenance.
• Permit energized electrical work only when authorized and performed by appropriately qualified personnel under applicable procedures.

 

Fall Protection and Elevated Work

Fall hazards shall be identified and controlled before elevated work begins. The applicable fall-protection threshold and permitted protective systems depend on the work activity and governing standard.

• Protect unprotected sides, edges, holes, openings, and other fall exposures as required.
• Inspect ladders, scaffolds, aerial lifts, and fall-protection equipment before use.
• Use approved anchorage and compatible fall-protection components.
• Provide required employee training.
• Plan for prompt rescue when personal fall-arrest systems are used.

 

Vehicles and Mobile Equipment

• Operate vehicles and mobile equipment only when trained and authorized as required.
• Complete required inspections before operation.
• Use seat belts and operator-restraint systems where provided and required.
• Follow site traffic rules and maintain safe operating speeds.
• Use spotters or other controls when visibility is restricted.
• Keep pedestrians separated from equipment operating areas where practicable.
• Do not work or stand beneath suspended loads or unsupported raised equipment.

 

Contractor and Subcontractor Safety

Contractors and subcontractors shall be informed of applicable site hazards and safety requirements. Responsibilities for hazard communication, emergency procedures, simultaneous operations, permits, inspections, and other coordination requirements should be established before work begins.

Contractors remain responsible for the safety of their employees and for complying with applicable laws, regulations, contractual requirements, and site procedures.

 

Corrective Actions and Accountability

Unsafe conditions and practices shall be corrected as promptly as practical based on the severity of the hazard. Conditions presenting an immediate danger shall be corrected before affected work continues or the area or equipment shall be restricted from use.

Safety expectations shall be enforced consistently. Coaching, retraining, counseling, or disciplinary action may be used as appropriate under company policy to address failure to follow established safety requirements.

 

Recordkeeping

Safety records shall be maintained as required by applicable regulations and company procedures. Records may include training documentation, inspections, JSAs/JHAs, permits, incident investigations, corrective actions, equipment records, exposure records, and other safety documentation.

Record-retention periods vary by subject and applicable requirement. The company should establish retention practices appropriate to each type of record rather than applying a single retention period to all safety documentation.

 

Plan Review and Revision

This Safety Plan shall be reviewed periodically and whenever significant changes occur in operations, equipment, processes, workplace hazards, regulatory requirements, or client requirements. Identified deficiencies shall be corrected, and affected employees shall receive updated information or training when revisions change their responsibilities or safe work practices.

 

Site-Specific Safety Information

Project / Site: [Enter Information]

Site Supervisor: [Enter Name / Contact]

Client Representative: [Enter Name / Contact]

Site-Specific Hazards: [Enter Hazards]

Required PPE: [Enter PPE]

Required Permits: [Enter Permits]

Emergency / Evacuation Procedures: [Enter Procedures]

Additional Client Requirements: [Enter Requirements]

 

Employee Acknowledgment

Employees should acknowledge that applicable portions of the Safety Plan have been reviewed with them and that they understand their responsibility to follow established safety requirements and report hazards, incidents, and questions to supervision.

Employee Name: __________________________________________

Employee Signature: _______________________________________

Date: ____________________

Trainer / Supervisor: ______________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Date: ____________________

 

Template Customization Checklist

• Replace all bracketed placeholders with company-specific information.
• Remove sections that do not apply and add programs required for the company’s actual operations.
• Verify applicable federal OSHA, State Plan, local, client, and contractual requirements.
• Identify responsible personnel and emergency contacts.
• Add site-specific hazards, procedures, PPE, permits, and emergency arrangements.
• Coordinate the plan with required written safety programs and JSAs/JHAs.
• Review the completed plan with affected employees.
• Establish a process for periodic review and revision.

Important: This template is intended as a planning and development tool. It is not, by itself, a complete safety program or a guarantee of regulatory compliance. Employers should customize and implement the plan based on their actual operations, hazards, and applicable requirements.