Safety should be a top priority for any business. Without a safe working environment, employees are at risk and the company can face serious financial penalties. However, a safety culture can mean so much more. Building an effective health and safety culture will have a positive impact on “your workers, your bottom line, and public perception.”
Let’s discuss some important steps to create an effective safety management program, ultimately developing a strong safety culture within your organization.
Management Commitment
You can’t build an effective or successful safety culture without leaders. Management needs to set the tone for the organization and must make sure that everyone is on board with health and safety regulations. They should also provide resources and support to ensure that your safety program is effective.
Hazard Assessment
To successfully build a practical safety management program, you must first conduct a complete hazard assessment of your operations. According to the US Department of Labour (OSHA), one of the main reasons workplace incidents occur is failure to anticipate or recognize hazards.
Identifying existing and potential hazards in the workplace is the only way you can develop effective strategies to mitigate these risks. OSHA has created a simple guide on how to collect existing information about workplace hazards, and what should be included as part of your hazard assessments.
Hazard Control
The goal is to develop methods of efficiently reducing the likelihood of injury or illness in the workplace while maintaining productivity. This may include things like changing the way work is done, providing safety equipment, or implementing new policies and procedures.
Inspections, Work Tours and Maintenance
Another important part of an effective safety management program is to complete regular inspections, work tours, and maintenance. This helps to ensure that hazards are controlled and will help identify changes in workplace conditions. Should changes to workplace conditions be identified a review of your hazard assessment should be completed and your hazard controls adapted immediately.
Emergency Response Planning
In the event of an emergency, it is important to have a plan in place. This plan should be designed to protect employees and minimize damage to the workplace. Make sure you look at more than just fire and first aid emergencies, consider all hazards that could affect your work operations.
Qualifications, Training and Competency
Employees must be properly trained and qualified to do their jobs. Training should be ongoing, and employees should be kept up to date on new procedures and changes in the workplace. In addition, employees should be competent in their jobs. This means they have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do their jobs safely.
Investigate Incidents
Investigating incidents is an important part of an effective safety management program. This step provides employers and workers the chance to review any issues or shortcomings within their safety program. In doing so, these can be addressed, and new policies and procedures can be implemented to avoid reoccurrence.
Other Parties
Safety doesn't just apply to employees. Other employed persons, such as security, contractors, visitors, and members of the public should also be considered when developing a safety management program. Make sure you have procedures in place to protect them from hazards.
Joint Health and Safety Committee or Safety Representative
Depending on the size of your company an effective safety management program should have either a Safety Representative or a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). This representative, or committee, is responsible for identifying hazards, developing controls, and investigating incidents. The JHSC should be made up of representatives from both management and employees.
Your safety management program should be well-administered. This means that it is regularly reviewed and updated as needed. Safety records should be kept up-to-date, and employees should be aware of the program and their roles in it.
An effective safety management program is essential to building a strong safety culture.
If you have any questions about Safety Management or would like assistance creating a program for your workplace, please contact us.