Developing safety programs

If necessary, set aside a regular time for a company-wide safety and health meeting with the main objective being identifying ways to improve the safety program continuously. Regulars safety meetings can also be a great way to get workers on board with your safety program and safety culture. This way, workers can commit more to the safety program, and regular communications about safety can help boost team morale. The following two tabs change content below. Bio Latest Posts. B2BNN Newsdesk.

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Sustainability Management. Vendor Management. Work Observations. Get the level of configuration and customization you need. Forget one-size-fits-all. This is your way to do software. Fortunately, there is a simple method for developing a viable workplace safety program. The best way to start spreading awareness about the importance of workplace safety is to make it a company-wide value.

This step mostly concerns management, at first, as they must reflect these values in word and action. This doesn't just mean verbally encouraging employees to follow proper safety procedures, but also conducting a thorough investigation of each and every workplace accident. Next, you need to get a proper assessment of everyday hazards specific to your workplace.

In addition to receiving a professional assessment, management should also release a company-wide survey to give employees the opportunity to express risk concerns anonymously. Much of the information in this publication can be applied to any industry.

We have resources and information to help you manage common risks in specific industries , including hazards and exposures and tools, equipment, and machinery. You need to provide or review orientation for workers when they:. Encourage workers to ask questions if they are uncertain about how to do a task safely.

Generally, education refers to formal classroom instruction that may include lectures, discussions, and videos. Training refers to hands-on, job-specific instruction to individuals or small groups. Typically, training involves demonstrations and active participation by workers so you or a supervisor can confirm that workers fully understand safe work procedures. Education and training topics may include how to avoid known hazards and what to do about new potential hazards, where to find PPE and how to use and care for it, and specific safe work practices — such as those relating to lockout or cash deposits.

Reviewing the records from time to time helps ensure training requirements have been met. Health and safety programs can include either a worker health and safety representative or a joint health and safety committee that meets at least once each month. The representative or committee works with you to identify unsafe conditions and practices, then resolve them.

Regular meetings are essential so you can address any safety issues quickly. In a formal health and safety program, management meetings are required to review health and safety activities and incident trends. These meetings can be used to:. Any decisions management makes about health and safety matters should be communicated back to supervisors and workers in a timely and clear manner.

After any incident that requires medical treatment for a worker, and any potentially serious near misses, you need to conduct an investigation into why the incident happened. As with inspections, these investigations should involve at least one worker representative. Your goals are to:. Note that certain serious incidents must be immediately reported to us.

When safety-related incidents do happen on the job, both employers and WorkSafeBC have certain responsibilities. Incident investigations help identify root causes and hazards while finding ways to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Two different investigations take place after an incident occurs: an employer investigation and a WorkSafeBC investigation. You are responsible for immediately reporting serious incidents to us, including when a worker is seriously injured or killed, a building collapses, or there is a major release of a hazardous substance.

This is not the same as reporting injuries as part of a claim. Keeping up-to-date health and safety records is important for identifying and resolving repeat problems, as well as providing material for education and training. At least once every year, you should review your health and safety program and discuss with your workers ways to improve it.

Look for any changes in the workplace that might affect health and safety, including any new hazards. As part of your review, make sure you continue to be compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Sign up for our mailing list. Safety and health programs help businesses: Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses Improve compliance with laws and regulations Reduce costs, including significant reductions in workers' compensation premiums Engage workers Enhance social responsibility goals Increase productivity and enhance overall business operations Resources.

Management Leadership Management leadership means there is a commitment from the top to implementing a program and using it to drive continuous improvement in safety and health. Why Is It Important? Top management can demonstrate its commitment in many different ways, including: Developing and communicating a safety and health policy statement. Providing the resources needed to implement and operate the program.

Factoring safety and health into operational planning and decisions. Recognizing or rewarding safety and health contributions and achievements. Leading by example, by practicing safe behaviors and making safety part of daily conversations. Worker Participation Effective safety and health programs tap into workers' collective experience, knowledge, and insight in order to find solutions to workplace safety and health challenges.

Workers can participate in many ways, including: Developing the initial program design. Reporting incidents including near misses so they can be investigated.