Safety Procedures in the Workplace

Summary: Workplace safety procedures can help lower the risk of accidents and injuries that occur on the job. In this article, we'll look at some of the basic elements a robust safety program entails, how to develop them and keep employees motivated to participate in the program for the long term.

How to Create a Safety Program and Implement Workplace Safety Requirements

Employers that enforce safety procedures and regulations, provide safety training, education and occupational health programs create a workplace environment in which employees feel safe every day when they arrive for work. Additionally, these programs help to create an environment of employee loyalty.

Effective employee safety training programs are necessary to eliminate human suffering due to injuries incurred on the job, and they help reduce the direct and indirect costs of accidents. They also provide a means for businesses to comply with state and federal regulatory requirements, reducing the concern over exposure to fines and legal sanctions.

AmTrust Financial explored the importance of implementing workplace safety programs and how it can both positively impact the bottom line and make employees safer in “ROI of Safety-How to Create a Long-Term Profitable Safety Program.”

Basic Elements of a Safety Training Program

Workers are more content on the job when they are engaged in the processes and procedures a safety management program offers. And with less employee turnover, employers will spend less time recruiting and training new workers and more time developing their company’s leaders.

There are countless resources available to assist employers in the development of their safety policies and procedures, including:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• State occupational and health division or programs
• Industry trade groups
• Their workers’ compensation insurance company or agent
• Their insurance carriers’ loss control department

OSHA has provided the basic components for creating a safety program, which then can be built upon for each organization’s specific needs. A program couldn’t get off the ground without the commitment of management and the involvement of a business’s employees.

The next critical step in an effective workplace safety program is creating a process to identify and assess current hazards on the premises or jobsite. Once the potential hazards are recognized, companies can create safe working policies to make sure controls are put in place to minimize or eliminate injuries, illnesses or accidents. Finally and most importantly, everyone in the company, from management to interns, need to be trained at the implementation of the safety program. The safety program should also be included in new hire training or when an employee’s tasks and potential work hazards change.

Developing Effective Safety Rules and Regulations

Safety rules are a necessary component when creating a safety program for any organization. The writing of the rules should be assigned to several people working together in a group, such as a safety committee. The collective experience and judgement of several people will result in a balanced, more accurate and complete set of rules.

Safety rules are not effective unless they are enforced. It is important that supervisors are thoroughly familiar with all the rules, even those outside their range of responsibility. All employees should receive their own copy of the rules and additional copies should be posted on bulletin boards as a constant reminder.

Recurring Safety Training - Safety Motivation Programs

Programs that show an interest from everyone in a company from top management through to the supervisors and the hourly employees help create a spirit of cooperation. Effective communication is a motivational tool. When top management knows and participates in these programs, it displays to all the employees that safety is a company effort. The more employees are motivated to participate in the loss control program, the more successful it will become.

Without continued motivation, employees begin to lose their positive response to workplace safety programs. To maintain interest, management has to direct and handle the loss control activities so that employees will benefit directly. Employee interest in the program will be promoted by activities that appeal and impact them directly.

It must be remembered that building a successful safety program takes planning and time for the program to become effective. The program should be evaluated periodically to ensure its effectiveness, and it can and should be modified as needed. Management should keep their employees interested and continually involved in the loss control efforts by promoting the program.

Courtesy of AmTrust

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