10 Steps to Creating an Effective Safety Program in Your Workplace
Table of Contents
- Ten steps to creating an effective safety program in your workplace hi I'm...
- Chosen an individual to be responsible for the safety and health of your...
- Having significant incident occurrences in the past also note areas where...
- Those suggestions are implemented it is wise to also document all safety...
- Sure to maintain documentation or training topics and keep records of all...
- Website at wwlp.
00:00
ten steps to creating an effective
safety program in your workplace hi I'm
Howard Thomas safety services supervisor
for Chesapeake employers insurance in
this webinar I will guide you through
the steps to creating and maintaining an
effective safety program let's get
started
ten steps to creating an effective
safety program in your workplace the ten
steps are number one ensure management
commitment to safety number two
designate responsibility for safety
number three determine the safety
requirements for your workplace number
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four conduct a hazard assessment of your
workplace number five develop a written
safety policy that includes both
management support and employee
involvement number six ensure two-way
communication about safety
number seven correct identified hazards
number eight regularly train your
employees on safety topics number nine
keep your workplace hazard free number
ten keep your program periodically and
keep it up to date step 1 ensure
management commitment to safety a
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commitment to safety is the first and
most important step management can take
to protect their employees from
accidents and injuries to realize the
benefits of any safety program the
company owner or CEO and senior
management must be truly committed to
safety their example will create the
environment for a positive safety
culture throughout the organization in
an organization with a strong safety
culture management's commitment to
safety is based on the understanding
that prevention of injuries is good for
employees and it is good for business
01:31
all injuries can and should be prevented
legally economically and morally
management is responsible for the safety
and well-being of its employees and for
maintaining a safe and healthful
workplace supervisors can be held
accountable for the safety of those who
report to them at the same time every
employee is responsible for performing
his or her job duties safely training
employees is essential to a safe
workplace and all exposures can be
safeguarded step to designate
responsibility for safety if you've
02:03
chosen an individual to be responsible
for the safety and health of your
organization that person should have the
experience qualifications and authority
to do the job this is an individual must
be credible
respected and knowledgeable about the
organization's business operations and
must be given the time authority and
resources to develop an effective safety
program if you've opted for a team to be
responsible for the safety and health of
your organization the safety committee
should contain representatives from top
management middle management line
management and the employee workforce if
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you're a small employer with 50 or fewer
employees perhaps your safety committee
consists of three to five members the
committee should function as a team and
meet regularly to discuss safety
production and maintenance and general
issues affecting the company a
chairperson should have overall
responsibility for the actions of the
committee and should report back to the
business owner and/or top management the
activities of the safety committee
should be documented and made available
to all employees the workforce should
feel they have some control over their
workstations they should be invited to
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suggest improvements to policies and
procedures where their work is concerned
step 3 determine the safety requirements
for your workplace become familiar with
the safety and health requirements of
your company's operations equipment and
physical location resources that can aid
in this include OSHA or mosh laws
regulations and standards equipment
manuals chemical inventory existing
safety and health materials employee
capabilities and your company's accident
injury history step 4
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conduct a hazard assessment of your
workplace identify any situations that
present hazards or are in violation of
any laws regulations or standards pay
particular attention to any areas which
prior research indicated were potential
problems and determine if a problem
still exists a comprehensive baseline
survey of the work and working
conditions at a worksite permits a
systematic record of the hazards and
potential hazards that exist the
employer may wish to involve in this
step a representative from OSHA and
04:06
insurance carriers such as Chesapeake
employers or a private consultant as the
hazard survey proceeds note areas where
additional investigation and expert
consultation may be necessary for
example monitoring levels of airborne
chemical substances or noise or
additional research on equipment or
chemical substances may be required
also no conditions that might be
alleviated through employee training and
education remember to pay particular
attention to those areas identified as
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having significant incident occurrences
in the past also note areas where
required personal protective clothing
and equipment or PPE is needed remember
to provide for regular safety and health
inspections during period periodic
inspections identify new or previously
missed hazards and failures and hazard
control question whether the changes
made to eliminate the original hazard
may have created any new hazards when
initially identified hazards are under
control attention can be given to the
05:07
intensive analysis required to recognize
less obvious hazards subsequent
comprehensive surveys provide an
opportunity to step back from leave
routine to look for new hazards step 5
develop a written safety program the
business owner CEO rights or endorses
the safety policy or mission statement
the policy should stress the commitment
the company is made to promote safety
and prioritize safety among the
company's strategic initiatives equal to
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other business goals safety policy and
procedures should be clearly stated and
understandable it is best to put them in
writing as the written material provides
a historical record that can be reviewed
and revised periodically and also can
serve as documentation of site-specific
requirements the safety program should
always include prompt injury reporting
requirements and be clear as to who
should do the reporting preferably the
safety program should also include
provisions for returning injured
employees to work when medically
06:07
feasible to do so the safety policy
mission statement should be written in
clear and precise language and should be
no more than one page long it should be
the first page of any safety manual or
program it should be read by or explain
to all employees
step 6 ensure two-way communication
about safety to build an effective
safety program management should
communicate regularly with employees
communications should travel easily in
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both directions management to employees
and employees
management an open-door policy
suggestion boxes access to safety
committee members and other methods of
communication are all encouraged
employees should be allowed to approach
executive leadership with questions or
problems relating to their job or safety
employees should be encouraged to bring
their suggestions for safety and
production improvements or changes to
their immediate supervisors or to senior
management management should show
interest in the employees suggestions
and follow up with them whether or not
07:09
those suggestions are implemented it is
wise to also document all safety
communications step 7
correct identified hazards hazards once
recognized should be promptly abated or
controlled hazard abatement is an
essential activity all available
resources should be devoted to this
objective recognized hazards might
constitute violations of laws
regulations and standards they could
also result in property or production
loss most important these conditions
07:40
present hazards to employees that could
result in injury illness or even loss of
life when correcting identified hazards
it is important to develop a plan of
action and a method of tracking the
correction of all hazards correct all
identified hazards implement interim
protective measures while taking
corrective action provide all required
PPE and comply with all requirements
specified in equipment manuals employee
involvement can also help when there are
alternative ways to address a hazard
08:12
effective managers have found that
involving employees and discussions of
methods can identify useful prevention
and control measures serve as a means
for communicating the rationale for
decision making and encourage employee
acceptance of the decisions correction
of some hazards may take a long time
interim measures may be necessary for
those items that cannot be corrected
immediately an effective safety program
involves interim measures for the
protection of employees these should
include advising employees of the
existing hazards and how to avoid or
08:44
minimize the danger while corrective
measures are being taken interim
measures can include requiring the use
of PPE installing temporary guarding
posting warning signs and taking
certain pieces of equipment out of
service step 8
regularly train employees to perform
their jobs safely most employers must
provide some training for employees
Chesapeake employers insurance
encourages employers to provide training
on employee emergency plans and fire
protection plans personal protective
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equipment all mechanized or motorized
equipment used in your operation
remember all new employees need training
prior to starting work that would expose
them to hazards transfer employees will
also require training whenever they are
exposed to new hazards employees should
be trained on all safety procedures and
hazard identification awareness as part
of your organization's new employee
orientation we recommend ongoing
training schedule regular safety
training sessions or toolbox talks be
09:48
sure to maintain documentation or
training topics and keep records of all
employees who attended employers also
must inform and train employees about
the company's safety and health program
how it benefits employees and what is
expected of employees to make the
program work effectively an employer
should ensure that all employees
understand the hazards to which they may
be exposed and how to prevent harm to
themselves and others from exposure to
these hazards a thorough understanding
of the hazards and their prevention will
affect employee acceptance and use of
10:20
established safety and health
protections training for this purpose is
reinforced by encouraging attempts to
work safely and by positive recognition
of safe behavior step 9 keep your
workplace hazard free once recognized
hazards are corrected take steps to
ensure that the work place remains
hazard free develop work practices
administrative controls work rules and
emergency procedures schedule regular
inspects inspections to check for
optimally performing facilities and
10:50
equipment and to prevent hazardous
breakdowns additionally all workplaces
must have provisions for emergencies
including basic first-aid and a plan to
address fire hazards step 10
review your safety program periodically
and keep it up to date
at this point much of what an employer
due to implement an effective safety
program has been accomplished the
employer can now attend to program
maintenance including maintenance of the
program documentation of the program
details addition of new work practices
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and hazard controls and continuation of
enforcement be sure to continue to
review the following written hazard
communication plan emergency procedures
administrative or engineering controls
program elements and new processes and
loss history require postings for
employers be sure to post the following
in a conspicuous place in your workplace
the WCC's employers posting notice
titled workers compensation in Maryland
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this is an eight and a half by 14 inch
poster in both English and Spanish
it is available on a Maryland Workers
Compensation Commission website at
www.uvu.edu/library little on the
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health
12:25
website at wwlp.com penita and money in
the long run you want to hire your next
star employee not your next workers comp
injury employee selection and hiring
criteria may include pre-employment
information such as a formal evaluation
of skills and abilities reference checks
and vhx & pre-employment drug testing a
13:08
written Job Description explaining in
detail the function and expectations of
the job pre placement physical
examination if this is an applicable
condition of employment general company
rules and physical
place characteristics return to work or
transitional duty program as soon as
your worker is able it is in everyone's
best interest to return him or her to
work in some capacity following a
work-related injury Chesapeake employers
experience shows that the longer an
injured worker remains away from work
13:40
the more difficult it is to return him
or her to gainful employment and
returning to regular work usually occurs
more quickly when transitional modified
Duty is offered with a return to work
program the employer identifies
alternate jobs for an injured worker to
perform the employer must also have the
treating physicians medical
authorization that the injured employees
physically able to return to work on a
part-time or modify Duty basis drug
testing policy Chesapeake employers
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strongly supports comprehensive
drug-free workplace programs especially
within those workplaces involving safety
sensitive duties like operating
machinery a comprehensive drug-free
workforce policy ideally should include
four types of drug testing
pre-employment drug testing random drug
testing post accident drug testing and
reasonable suspicion more information
can be found on our website contact
Chesapeake employers insurance for
assistance developing an effective
14:43
safety program takes time it involves a
large commitment on the part of the
entire company all this additional work
pays off
however when it results in a positive
attitude toward safety and a reduction
in accidents and incidents in your
organization Chesapeake employers can
serve as a resource in obtaining
information and acquiring answers to our
policyholders questions for more
information I encourage you to consult
our website you may also take advantage
of our safety University online