Safety Policies: Guides to Action and Decision Making

Policies are guides to action and decision making under a given set of circumstances. Policies ensure consistency and compliance with the law within a framework of corporate objectives and culture.

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, safety policies should:

• Involve senior management and representatives in their preparation
• Be consistent with workplace objectives of operating in an efficient and predictable manner
• Be relevant to your needs, not adopted from another workplace
• Be considered as important as other workplace policy objectives
• Address the commitment of senior management to the establishment of a safe and healthy workplace and to the integration of worker protection into all activities
• Address the intention to treat regulations as a minimum
• Address the roles and accountability of personnel at all levels
• Include regular reviews of policies and ways to monitor effectiveness

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From emergency action to infection control, the Easy Workplace Safety Program has detailed plans for 20 specific safety procedures. Find out more.

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Communicating Policies

The very best policy is of little value unless it is communicated across the organization. Strategies to do that can include:

• New-hire orientation
• Policy and procedure manuals
• Company intranet
• Safety and health committees
• Job descriptions and job-hazard analyses
• Safety talks and meetings at all levels

Enforcing Policies

To be effective, safety and health policies must also be uniformly and consistently enforced. This means supervisors and employees alike must be familiar with all safety policies. They must also understand the purpose of safety policies and the procedures for implementing these policies.

Furthermore, all employees throughout the organization—and we mean all—must be held accountable for following policies. Policy violations should be addressed promptly and firmly. A first offence might give rise to an oral warning. For repeat offences or for serious first offences, a written warning or even suspension might be appropriate. Termination should be definitely be an option for egregious safety rule violations or for employees who flagrantly and repeatedly violate safety rules and put co-workers at risk.

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Developing a formal, written safety plan doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Easy Workplace Safety Program makes it easy as 1, 2, 3! Get the details.

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Safety Programs to Implement Your Policies

Developing your written safety programs is as easy as 1, 2, 3 with BLR’s Easy Workplace Safety Program. This exceptional product makes it easy to develop customized written safety plans that meet your organization’s particular needs for workplace safety and OSHA compliance.

All you need to do is insert the CD, add your specific company information, and your safety program is essentially complete. This carefully developed tool comes complete with a step-by-step manual and has detailed plans for 20 safety procedures, including:

—Hearing conservation
—Emergency action plan
—Hazard communication
—Lockout/tagout
—PPE
—Material handling and storage
—Forklift operations
—Confined spaces
—Electrical safety
—Ergonomics
—Fire prevention

… and many more essential safety procedures. You also get special forms, such as the OSHA 300, 301, and 300A forms, state-specific workplace safety, loss prevention program, and safety committee requirements are also provided.
Everything you need to implement an award-winning safety program is right at your fingertips in one package, including complete instructions on how to use this exciting safety management product.

Find out more about how BLR’s Easy Workplace Safety Program can help you manage safety in your workplace.

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