What Should a Health and Safety Policy Statement Include
The policy should cover some or all of the following: The last part of your policy identifies the precautions you have taken to manage and control risks to the health and safety of those who operate or may be affected by your activities. UConn Health is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all activities under the University`s responsibility. Part of a successful policy is making sure all employees are aware of it. If the workplace plan is good for policy implementation, employees will be reminded of it in their day-to-day activities, at safety meetings, and during orientation and training. All activities are encouraged to have their own programs that place greater emphasis on safety and help ensure a safe environment, regulatory compliance, accreditation, etc. When evaluating the performance of each employee, the supervisor must take into account compliance with prescribed safety obligations. A health and safety policy contains an organization`s vision and general occupational health and safety policy, as well as information on how the organization implements the policy. Creating a new security policy may seem like a daunting task, but formatting and wording are less important than clarity and consistency. Senior management should take the time to reflect on their long-term security objectives and establish a hierarchy of responsibilities that can guide these efforts. However, as workplaces and market conditions are constantly changing, employers should regularly review their safety policy statements to ensure everything is on track. U.S. organizations should also indicate their commitment to working with federal and state regulators such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL). All employees should be informed of the policy, which should be regularly reviewed and revised in the light of experience. Revisions may be made in response to changes in the nature of the work performed, new machinery, or legislative changes. Not sure how to view and update your policy? A health and safety specialist can help you keep it fit for purpose and allow you to effectively meet your health and safety needs. In addition, your employees should also have an accurate summary of their duties, i.e. taking care of their own health and the safety of others in the workplace (especially those defined in the MHSWR). This is one of the most important documents that companies must have at their disposal if they want to comply with CIMS (Cleaning Industry Management) and ISSA certification. Is health and safety management a big business? Not sure you have everything you need to ensure legal health and safety requirements are met? A health and safety policy should include a simple statement of the organization`s overall commitment to health and safety.
When writing your statement, use clear and plain language so that your intentions can be easily understood. The statement itself is an expression of your commitment to managing health and safety throughout your organization. As such, it doesn`t need to contain much detail and can be quite short. It can be broken down with bullet points or a series of smaller statements. Two or three paragraphs may suffice. The statement identifies specific levels of responsibility within the organization for health and safety and also describes the arrangements in place to support the policy. The document should also include information on emergency training and procedures, such as those followed during a fire, escape routes, and who is responsible for managing the training and controls. Unlike other security-focused documents, this statement must be written personally and honestly from the perspective of senior management or a designated Chief Security Officer.
This adds a human touch and provides a top-down view of a company`s philosophy, values, and long-term security goals. Ways in which policies and responsibilities can be communicated include: Unfortunately, there are still health and safety statements that make vague and general promises and promise to achieve the impossible (such as “We will use all possible means to prevent accidents”). Instead, your employer`s statement should contain specific and realistic commitments, including: Once a health and safety policy is finalized, organizations must ensure that employees read and understand it. Health and safety risk assessments (including HSCP, PPE and manual handling) are generally included in the “Precautions” section, particularly for hazards identified in the Health and Safety Policy Statement. Arrangements for fire and other emergencies, as well as arrangements to ensure personnel receive information, instruction, training and monitoring, should also be included. To help employees stay safe on the job, employers across the country should try to create a forward-looking safety policy that becomes the cornerstone of a successful safety program. During National Safety Month, the National Safety Council (NSC) highlighted several key issues, including mental health, ergonomics and defensive driving. In addition to these more concrete issues, the NAC also highlighted the need to create a workplace safety culture that can adapt to new challenges, develop innovative solutions and promote collaboration between employees and management.
The type of health and safety goals you choose depends greatly on the areas that need to be improved the most in your organization. But what should a good health and safety policy include? As well written as it is, a policy is nothing more than empty words if there is no plan in place to implement the policy throughout the organization. The policy can only be applied if: The content of your policy depends on the type of work you do.