Elements of an Effective

Safety and Health

Program
 Effective Safety and
Health Programs
 It has been found that effective
management of worker safety and
health programs
– Reduces the extent and severity of
work related injuries and illnesses
– Improves employee morale and
productivity
– Reduces workers’ compensation costs
Common Characteristics of
Exemplary Workplaces
 Use of organized and systematic
methods to
– Assign responsibility to managers,
supervisors, and employees
– Inspect regularly for and control
hazards
– Orient and train all employees to
eliminate or avoid hazards
 The Guidelines - General
 An effective program
– Includes provisions for systematic
identification, evaluation and prevention or
control of hazards
– Goes beyond specific requirements of the law
to address all hazards
 Written program
– “In writing” less important than its
effectiveness
– As size and complexity of worksite or process
increases, so does need for written guidance
 Major Elements
 An effective occupational safety and
health program will include the
following four elements
– Management commitment and
employee involvement
– Worksite analysis
– Hazard prevention and control
– Safety and health training
Management Commitment
and Employee Involvement
 Management commitment and employee
involvement are complementary
 Management commitment provides the
motivating force and resources for
organizing and controlling activities
within an organization
 Employee involvement provides the
means through which workers develop
and express their own commitment to
s&h protection
 Management Commitment
and Employee Involvement
(cont’d)
Recommended Actions:
 State clearly a worksite safety and health
policy
 Establish and communicate a clear goal
and objective for the safety and health
program
 Provide visible top management
involvement in implementing the
program
 Management Commitment
and Employee Involvement
(cont’d)
Recommended Actions:
 Encourage employee involvement in the
program and in decisions that affect their
safety and health (e.g., inspection or
hazard analysis teams; developing or
revising safe work rules; training new
hires or co-workers; assisting in accident
investigations)
 Assign and communicate responsibility for
all aspects of the program
 Management Commitment
and Employee Involvement
(cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 Provide adequate authority and resources
to responsible parties
 Hold managers, supervisors, and
employees accountable for meeting their
responsibilities
 Review program operations at least
annually, to evaluate, identify deficiencies,
and revise, as needed
 Worksite Analysis
 Worksite analysis involves a variety of
worksite examinations, to identify not
only existing hazards, but also
conditions and operations where
changes might occur to create hazards
 Effective management actively
analyzes the work and the worksite to
anticipate and prevent harmful
occurrences
 Worksite Analysis (cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 So that all hazards are identified

– Conduct comprehensive baseline and

periodic surveys for safety and health
– Analyze planned and new facilities,
processes, materials, and equipment
– Perform routine job hazard analyses
 Worksite Analysis (cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 Provide for regular site safety and
health inspections
 Provide a reliable system for
employees, without fear of reprisal, to
notify management about apparent
hazardous conditions and to receive
timely and appropriate responses
 Worksite Analysis (cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 Provide for investigation of accidents
and “near miss” incidents, so that
their causes and means for
prevention are identified
 Analyze injury and illness trends
over time, so that patterns
with common causes can be
identified and prevented
 Hazard Prevention
and Control
 Triggered by a determination that a
hazard or potential hazard exists
 Where feasible, prevent hazards by
effective design of job or job site
 Where elimination is not feasible, control
hazards to prevent unsafe and
unhealthful exposure
 Elimination or control must be
accomplished in a timely manner
 Hazard Prevention and
Control (cont’d)
Recommended Actions:
 Establish procedures for timely correction or
control of hazards, including
– Engineering techniques, where feasible and
appropriate
– Procedures for safe work which are understood
and followed as a result of training, positive
reinforcement, correction of unsafe
performance, and enforcement
– Provision of personal protective equipment
– Administrative controls
 Hazard Prevention and
Control (cont’d)
Recommended Actions:
 Provide for facility and equipment
maintenance
 Plan and prepare for emergencies
– Training and drills, as needed
 Establish a medical program
– First aid on site
– Physician and emergency care nearby
Safety and Health Training
 Addresses the safety and health
responsibilities of all personnel,
whether salaried or hourly
 Most effective when incorporated into
other training about performance
requirements and job practices
 Complexity depends on size and
complexity of worksite and nature of
hazards
Safety and Health Training
(cont’d)
Recommended Actions:
 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
 Safety and Health Training
(cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 Ensure that supervisors carry out their safety and
health responsibilities, including
– Analyzing the work under their supervision to
identify unrecognized potential hazards
– Maintaining physical protections in work areas
– Reinforcing employee training through continual
performance feedback and, if needed,
enforcement of safe work practices
Safety and Health Training
(cont’d)

Recommended Actions:
 Ensure that managers understand
their safety and health
responsibilities, as described under
the Management Commitment and
Employee Involvement element of
the guidelines