Building a Safe Workplace: A Guide to Health and Safety Programs

Brief History

Although the concept of worker protection has existed for centuries, industrialization has revealed considerable and constant dangers in the workplace. Catastrophes in the early 20th century resulted in calls for strict regulations. It also led to the establishment of these offices:

• Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) in the United States
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of the United Kingdom
• Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) in Canada
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) of the European Union
• Safe Work Australia

All these regulatory agencies require employers to maintain a workplace free from hazards. The best way to ensure this is to plan and develop a robust health and safety program and implement it as a comprehensive safety management system.

Benefits

Aside from the fact that upholding occupational health and safety is mandated by law, having a health and safety program helps organizations become more productive and financially successful.

A safe working environment boosts employee morale and confidence, enabling them to accomplish their tasks efficiently. Preventing accidents also saves costs related to medical expenses, compensation, litigation, and regulatory fines. Most importantly, having a strong safety record improves the company’s reputation among potential employees, customers, and business partners.

Key Components

A comprehensive health and safety program involves interconnected components. Neglecting just one may compromise the plan’s efficacy and jeopardize the entire initiative.

• Leadership buy-in sets the tone of prioritizing safety across the organization. With full endorsement and adequate resource allocation, the policies are more likely to be enforced consistently.
• Worker participation promotes a sense of ownership and accountability. Engaged employees can carefully identify, fearlessly report, and proactively mitigate risks.
• Safety policies and procedures standardize relevant practices from top to bottom. With well-defined and clear instructions, every team member can perform any task efficiently.
• Training and continuous education promote awareness, influence positive behavioral change, and improve decision-making. These also provide new information about emerging safety practices, the latest technology, or amended regulations.
• Continuous evaluation of safety performance tracks the program’s effectiveness, helping organizations refine, enhance, or change their safety systems.

How to Carry Out a Health and Safety Program

Developing and executing a health and safety program is less complicated when assigned personnel or teams approach it systematically. Here is a 7-step plan of action that covers all vital elements:

Step 1: Assess workplace safety concerns.

Hazard identification and risk assessment are the foundation of any safety initiative in the workplace. Determining these concerns helps with prioritization and resource allocation.

• Conduct thorough inspections of the entire workspace.
• Use checklists while performing walkthroughs to gain accurate data.
• Constantly update hazard assessments with process changes and the emergence of new risks.

Step 2: Develop safety policies and procedures.

Policies and procedures outline how tasks should be performed, from site or work-specific safety protocols to emergency response plans. Aside from providing guidance and ensuring consistency, these also set standards for transparency and accountability.

• Write policies in plain, easy-to-understand text. Global enterprises should consider translating the text to the local vernacular to ensure comprehension.
• Use diagrams, flowcharts, and images to complement standardized instructions.
• Make these documents available and easily accessible in one platform.

Step 3: Establish communication channels.

The flow of communication from top leadership to frontliners and among departments should be fluid. By keeping these lines uninterrupted, employees can promptly and accurately disseminate critical safety information.

• Utilize various communication methods, including daily toolbox talks, scheduled safety meetings, safety signs and symbols, and digital platforms.
• Facilitate two-way communication through centralized digital hubs or safety meeting apps, enabling workers to provide input.
• Create a non-punitive environment to encourage hazard reporting.

Step 4: Provide training and education.

The best way to engage employees is by delivering targeted training programs. When workers understand the rationale behind safety processes and their importance to day-to-day operations, they will be more mindful of their actions and can respond to any emergency effectively.

• Conduct a thorough analysis per department and job roles to identify specific training needs.
• Hire qualified experts with top-notch communication skills.
• Combine various delivery methods (e.g., classroom discussion, online modules, virtual reality return demonstrations) to cater to different learning styles.

Step 5: Integrate controls into relevant workflows.

Safety measures should be incorporated into daily operational tasks instead of creating them as an afterthought, only in case of emergencies.

• Prioritize control measures based on effectiveness. Eliminating or substituting hazards should be on top and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be the last resort.
• Hold short safety talks before work starts to discuss usual toolbox topics, past incidents, new procedures, or updated controls.
• Ask for feedback from front liners on the practicality and usability of controls.

Step 6: Review and revise the program regularly.

Health and safety programs can remain effective and up-to-date through safety performance monitoring and analysis. Companies that do this can better adapt to new hazards, technologies, and regulations.

• Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the program’s effectiveness.
• Strategize and implement corrective actions to address deficiencies or frequent recurrence of incidents.
• Hire third-party investigators for safety audits to gain impartial opinions and unbiased recommendations.