CORPORATE SAFETY POLICY

General

Accidents and injuries are prevented by controlling the work environment and the actions of employees. Only management can establish these controls. Management's attitudes are usually adopted by supervisors and employees. For this reason, the safety program in any organization must begin and end with top management. Although authority in safety matters is delegated down through all managerial levels, the ultimate responsibility for safety remains at the top.

The success of any safety program depends on management support. A safety policy statement, written and publicized by top management, can be an effective means of demonstrating management support and communicating the message that safety plays an important role in the welfare of the organization. A good policy makes everyone's job easier; supervisors can more easily implement company policy and enforce safe practices, employees will more willingly follow safety rules and instruction, and top management can more easily organize a program which will achieve its safety objectives.

Although top management must write a policy which addresses the unique needs of its operations, the following elements should be part of any safety policy:

  • Protection of employees, the public, and company operations are paramount.
  • Safety will take precedence over expediency or shortcuts.
  • Every attempt will be made to reduce the possibility of accident occurrence.
  • The company intends to comply with safety laws, ordinances and accepted standards of safe

practice.

  • The policy should be signed by the company president.
  • The policy should be widely publicized.

Developing the Policy

When developing the policy, it is important to assess the real attitudes of the organization toward safety. Safety policies and programs have proven to be cost effective countermeasures to accidents. However, these policies and programs will not be effective if they lack the sincere backing of top management.

The following questions may be helpful in making this assessment. Does management believe that:

  • All injuries can and should be prevented?
  • It has the responsibility to prevent injuries?
  • Employees must be trained to perform safely?
  • Employees should actively participate in the safety program?
  • It is good business and sound judgment to prevent injuries?

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  • It is possible and practical to safeguard those exposures which may result in injury to employees or to users of the company's products?
  • Prevention of injuries away from work is a logical undertaking for business?
  • Employees should understand their personal responsibility for the prevention of injuries on and off the job?

Sample Safety Policy Excerpts

Here are some excerpts from sample company safety policies which may be useful to anyone drafting a new policy:

"Management considers no phase of the operation more important than accident prevention. It is the policy of this company, therefore, to provide and maintain safe working conditions and follow operating practices that will safeguard all employees."

"This company believes in the importance of the individual employee. Employee safety is to be the first consideration in the operation of the business.

"Safe practices on the part of plant workers must be part of all operations. No job will be considered efficiently completed unless workers have followed every safety rule to protect themselves and fellow workers."

"Accident prevention and efficient production go hand-in-hand; therefore, all levels of management have a primary responsibility for the safety and well-being of all employees. This responsibility can only be met by working continuously to promote safe work practices among all employees and to maintain our property and equipment in safe operating condition at all times."

Distribution of Safety Policy

Once the safety policy is established, it must be publicized throughout the company and implemented. Communication media such as bulletin board displays, pamphlets, letters, and meetings can be used to familiarize employees with the safety policy. Supervisors should also discuss the policy with their employees, explaining how it applies to them.

Top management has the ultimate responsibility for the safety performance of the company. This responsibility must be extended through the various levels of management to the employees. Top management must see to it that this responsibility is fully accepted, and must hold supervisors and managers accountable for the safety performance of their respective departments.

This information has been developed from sources believed to be reliable. However, since it is a general guide to safety, compliance with all federal, state or local laws and regulations is the policyholder’s responsibility.

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