4 Tips For Writing A Workplace Health & Safety Policy

A health and safety policy is put into place to ensure that a business has effective safety management procedures which as well as keeping employees safe, ensures the business can remain legally compliant. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has a responsibility for the enforcement of laws that are in place to protect the health and safety of workers in America, creating some standardization across the nation to protect the well-being of employees in their roles.

The policy will detail the organization’s approach to health and safety and this should be written clearly and concisely so it can be easily referred to by everyone in the company, being used to raise the need for any new workplace safety products. It should be specific to the organization itself and provide sufficient details on the different procedures and policies, providing employees with the information they need to work safely. To help kickstart a new policy, here are four key considerations to make:

1) Highlight the main points

With health and safety policies often being sizable documents that contain a lot of sections, some do not apply to everyone, all employees must be reading the key elements. The start of the policy should outline the primary goals and how these are intended on being achieved to create a safer workplace. Stating the different steps that are in place, or due to be put in place, will create a consistent understanding across the business and this should be reviewed by the business owner regularly to ensure it is up to date and whether any new Bridge To Safety Safety Products is required.

2) Appoint health and safety officers

When an issue arises or an employee has a question, they must know whom to turn to. The health and safety policy should detail those who are responsible for what aspect of health and safety, including their full name and contact details. Those taking on the responsibilities should have undergone thorough training in the area and this should be refreshed regularly.

3) Consider third parties

The majority of health and safety policy is designed with the health and safety of employees in the workplace in mind, but this is not enough. There should also be a consideration for the safety of those who are on-site but are not necessarily workers at the organization. This may include temporary staff, subcontractors, site visitors, or the general public. If there is a risk that these third parties may be impacted by the work that happens on-site, their safety should also be detailed in the policy.

4) Make the policy known

Having a shiny new health and safety policy created is no use unless everyone in the organization is aware of it. Effective communication is essential within any business, creating a wider understanding throughout the company and getting everyone working from the same page. A training session should be carried out to run through the policy, giving people the chance to raise any questions they may have, and going forward any revisions to the document should also be communicated as and when they happen.

Additional Resources

• Quality, Health, Safety, Environment (QHSE) Management Systems– creativesafetysupply.com
• The Importance of Safety Leadership in the Workplace– whatisengineering.org
• Best Practices for Electrical Safety Compliance in the Workplace– electricalsafetyexpert.com
• How To Ensure Electrical Equipment Is Safe To Use In The Workplace– arcflashanswers.com
• How to Perform a Successful Visual Safety Audit– safetyvisuals.com
• Why Is GHS so Important in the Workplace?– ghsforum.com
• PPE for Electrical Safety– arcflashhazardclothing.com
• The Best Way to Apply Floor Tape in the Workplace– facilityfloortape.com
• The Common Mistakes to Avoid When Printing Safety Labels– safetylabelprinters.com