Health and Safety Program Development
A Health and Safety Management Program is a process put in place by an employer to minimize the incidence of injury and illness to workers involved in the operations carried out by the employer. This is accomplished through identifying, assessing and controlling risks to workers in all workplace operations. The scope and complexity of a Health and Safety Management Program will vary according to the type of workplace and the nature of operations carried out.
To be effective, the following 8 key components are considered to be essential and form the basis of a Health and Safety Management Program: 1. Management Leadership and Organizational Commitment This component shows Managements commitment through policies and procedures, documentation, training, audits and assessments, the overall goals and objectives for their Health and Safety Program, the responsibilities of management, workers, visitors and contractors, and the resources made available for sustaining an effective program.
2. Hazard Identification and Assessment Evaluation of all equipment, machinery, work areas and work processes to identify and analyze all potential sources of harm to workers. A record of all hazards should be kept, along with the degree of risk and level of potential exposure for workers.
3. Hazard Control Control measures should be developed for each hazard identified. Records of safe work practices and procedures for hazardous operations should be readily available and all workers trained. Typical control methods include: Engineering, Administrative and Personal Protective Equipment.
4. Ongoing Inspections To ensure that hazard control measures are in place and effectively protecting workers, a regular inspection program is important. Inspection tours provide important information about specific or potential hazards not previously identified, in turn providing a safeguard that controls, eliminates or reduces risks of those known hazards.
5. Qualifications, Orientation and Training Worker training is an essential phase of an effective Health and Safety Program. Workers need to know how to do their jobs safely and without risk to their health. New and/or young workers need special consideration, new worker orientation should be completed within the first week on the job and critical information must be covered on the first day. All training should be documented.
6. Emergency Response A serious emergency such as an explosion, fire or flood could put any company out of business. Even the best Health and Safety Program cannot protect your operation from all natural or unexpected disasters, however a good emergency plan developed and rehearsed can reduce the risk of loss.
7. Accident and Incident Investigation When an incident occurs at any workplace it is important to investigate the causes in order to: make sure previously uncontrolled hazards do not remain a risk prevent the recurrence of similar incidents determine if training or changes in control methods, such as personal protective equipment and procedures, need to be changed to make the workplace safer or healthier. All incidents should be investigated as soon as possible after any injured workers have been cared for and all potential hazards to investigators dealt with. An investigation process will be developed to help the person carrying out the investigation to gather the necessary information in a standard format.
8. Program Administration Program administration ensures that all parts of a Health and Safety Management Program are properly documented and communicated to employees. Records of each of the steps previously outlined help to ensure that the program remains on track and is effective in reducing the risk of injury and ill health at the workplace.
Safety Program Implementation and Maintenance The safety program management and implementation could include some or all of the following tasks:
Work with Management to identify and correct any deficiencies identified through Health and Safety Audits and Assessments. Develop any new policies, procedures or practices and assist in revising or updating existing ones. Provide on-going training in industry standard and occupational safety. Assist in organizing and administering all safety related tasks and documentation. Ensure all assigned safety related tasks are being carried out as per procedures and policies. Perform monthly site inspections and follow-up process. Keep all employees informed as to changes, updates, and statistics on safety related issues through monthly safety meetings, which could be done at the same time as the aforementioned task. Assist in WCB claims management and reporting system. Provide 24-hour support system. (ie: On-site incident/accident investigations, OH&S/WCB liaison, etc.)
