It’s always very difficult to start a new safety program or resurrect an old one. Sometime the hardest part is deciding where to start. To help you answer this question and develop a plan to implement an effective safety and health system at your company OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) created a four point program. Although voluntary, these guidelines represent OSHA’s policy on what every worksite should have in place to protect workers. The guidelines are based heavily on OSHA’s experience and outstanding results with its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The four points are:
- MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT AND EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
- WORKSITE ANALYSIS
- HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL
- TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES, SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS
For this discussion we will focus on the first point: Management Commitment and Employee involvement. You can express the depth of your commitment by involving your employees in planning and carrying out your efforts. If you seriously involve your employees in identifying and resolving safety and health problems, they will bring their unique insights and energy to achieving the goals and objectives of your program. Having them cooperate with you in protecting their safety and health not only helps to keep them healthy-it makes your job easier.
Listed below are several actions to put into action at your worksite. Try to implement these actions over the next four to six weeks.
- Post your policy on worker safety and health next to the OSHA Workplace Poster where all employees can see it.
- Hold a meeting with all employees to communicate your safety and health policy, and discuss your objectives for safety and health.
- Make sure that your support is visible by getting personally involved in the activities that are part of your safety and health program. For example, personally review all inspection and accident reports and ensure that follow-up occurs when needed.
- Ensure that you, managers and supervisors follow all safety requirements that apply to all employees, even if you are only in an area briefly. If, for instance, you require a hard hat, safety glasses and/or safety shoes in an area, wear them yourself when you are in that area.
- Take advantage of your employees’ specialized knowledge and encourage them to buy into the program by having them make inspections, conduct safety training, or investigate accidents.
- Make clear assignments of responsibility for every part of your safety and health program, and make sure everyone understands them. The more people who are involved, the better. A good rule of thumb is to assign safety and health responsibilities in the same way you assign production responsibilities. Make it a special part of everyone’s job to work safely.
- Give those with safety and health responsibility enough people, time, training, money and authority to get the job done.
- Don’t forget your safety and health program after you make assignments; make sure the job gets done. Recognize and reward those who do well and correct those who don’t.
- At least once a year, review what you have accomplished in meeting your objectives and re-evaluate whether you need new objectives or program revisions.
- Institute an accountability system where all personnel will be held accountable for not following work rules designed to promote workplace safety and health.
Next week our discussion will focus on worksite analysis. For more information visit’s the OSHA Website.
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