Safety and Health

Programs

Brainstorm
What makes a good safety and
health program?
What does a good program do for
you?

Benefits of Effective Safety and

Health Programs

Reduce injuries & illnesses

Improve morale & productivity
Reduce workers compensation costs
Show good faith efforts

Exemplary Workplaces:
Assign responsibility to managers,
supervisors, and workers
Inspect regularly to control hazards
Train employees to recognize and
avoid hazards
Provide systematic policies,
procedures and practices

Safety and Health Program

Guidelines
Systematic policies and procedures
Recognize hazards
Protect employees

Address all hazards

Beyond law
Including hazards caused by change

More important to be effective than

written
Guidelines available from OSHA

Major Elements
Management commitment &
employee involvement
Worksite analysis
Hazard prevention & control
Safety and health training

Management Commitment
/ Employee Involvement

Management
Commitment and
Employee Involvement
Management:
Regards worker safety and health
as a fundamental value
Applies commitment to safety and
health equally with other objectives

Employees:
Develop and express own
commitment to safety for selves
and others

Management Commitment
Management provides:
Motivation/Leadership
Resources
Policy Statement
Clear Goals & Objectives

Employees commit to safety for

selves and co-workers

Management Commitment
Demonstrated by:
Being visibly involved at all levels
Leading by example
Assigning responsibilities and
accountability at all levels
Providing authority and resources to
those responsible
Communicating program goals
Leading periodic reviews

Employee Involvement
Active roles:
Workplace inspections
Hazard analysis
Developing safe work rules
Training coworkers and new hires
Loss or Near Loss investigations
New equipment purchase / design / use
Participating in program review

Supervisor Responsibilities
Analyze work
to identify potential hazards in area of
responsibility

Maintain physical protections in work

areas
Reinforce employee training
performance feedback
enforcement of safe work practices

Worksite Analysis

Worksite Analysis
Examine the worksite and identify:
Existing hazards
Conditions & operations where changes
might occur to create hazards

Analyze the work & worksite to

anticipate & prevent harmful
occurrences

Comprehensive Survey
Conduct a comprehensive baseline
survey
Job Hazard Analysis
Who may help you:
OSHA Consultation Program
Insurance companies
Consultants

Safety & Health Inspections

Conduct regular site inspections
(usually weekly)
Establish daily work area inspection
procedures
Develop & use a checklist
Provide a reliable hazard reporting system
Employees notify management
No fear of reprisal
Timely & appropriate responses

Additional Worksite Analysis

Investigate accidents & near
misses
Identify causes & means for prevention

Analyze injury & illness trends

Identify & prevent common cause
patterns

Hazard Prevention &

Control

Hazard Prevention & Control

Recognition
Determine that a hazard or potential hazard
exists

Elimination
Where feasible, prevent hazards by effective
design of job or jobsite

Control
If the hazard cannot be eliminated, use hazard
controls

Eliminate or control hazards in a timely

manner

Hazard Prevention & Control

Hierarchy of controls:
Engineering controls
Administrative controls
Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Engineering Controls

Remove Employee from Hazard

Guards
Barriers
Work Area Design

Administrative Controls

Procedures
Rotation
Breaks
Relief Workers

Personal Protective
Equipment
Third line of defense relies on:
Correct choice of equipment
Correct usage
Replacement and maintenance
Awareness of when and why necessary

Hazard Prevention Planning

Facility & equipment maintenance
Emergency planning
Training & drills as needed

Medical program
First aid on site
Physician & emergency care nearby

Safety & Health Training

Safety & Health Training

Address Safety & Health
responsibilities of all personnel
Incorporate it into other training &
job performance/practice

Safety & Health Orientation

Employees must understand
Hazards they may be exposed to
Employee safety and health
responsibilities
Operating procedures and safeguards
Exits and emergency procedures

Orientation training must be given to

site workers
contract workers

Safety & Health Training

Documentation where required
Reinforcing employee training:
Continual feedback
Refresher training as needed

Safety & Health Program

Resources

Resources Available
OSHA Safety & Health Management
Guidelines (Appendix A)
Small Business Handbook
Sample safety & health programs
Compliance Assistance Quick Start
Customize and apply to your situation!

OSHA Consultation (OSHCON)

Related OSHA Programs

OSHA Programs

Alliances
Strategic Partnerships
VPP
OSHA Consultation
SHARP

Alliances
Organizations committed to
workplace safety and health
Collaborate with OSHA to prevent
injuries and illnesses in the workplace
Reach out to, educate, and lead the
nation's employers and their employees
in improving and advancing workplace
safety and health.

Benefits of an Alliance
Build trusting, cooperative
relationships with OSHA
Network with others committed to
workplace safety and health
Leverage resources to maximize
worker safety and health protection
Gain recognition as proactive
leaders in safety and health

How Alliances Work

OSHA and organization define,
implement and meet short and longterm goals from three categories:
Training and education
Outreach and communication
Promote the National Dialogue on
Workplace Safety and Health

Getting Started with

Alliances
National alliances
Office of Outreach Services and
Alliances (202) 693-2340

Regional or local alliances

OSHA regional office
Region VI contacts: link

State plan alliances also exist

OSHA Strategic Partnerships

(OSPP)
Extended, voluntary, cooperative
relationship
Groups of employers, employees, and
employee representatives
May have 1 business or many stakeholders
Common goal
Plans for achieving goal
Cooperation in implementation

Most are small businesses <50 workers

OSHA Strategic Partnerships

Many focus on Strategic Plan areas of
concern
Areas of Emphasis
Including Oil and Gas Field Services

Targeted Areas and High

Incident/Severity Areas

Elements of Partnerships
Must either
Implement effective workplace safety
and health management system or
address a specific hazard

Core elements required include

Goals, strategies, performance
measures
Evaluation and OSHA verification

Getting Started with

Partnerships
Contact OSHA
National or regional contact information

Identify goals, strategies, measures

Identify partners
Draft and submit application

Voluntary Protection
Program (VPP)
Recognizes exemplary safety and
health programs
Cooperation: management, labor, OSHA
Site with comprehensive safety and
health management system
implemented

Removes routine inspections

13 VPP Star sites in SIC 13

VPP Process
Application and S&H program review
Written program and onsite
implementation
Review by OSHA and SGE

Levels available
Star exemplary, self-sufficient, safer
than average; evaluations every 3-5 years
Merit potential to meet Star within 3
years; evaluations every 18-24 months
Star Demonstration

VPP Innovations
Special Government Employees
(SGE)
Volunteers from other VPP sites
Work with OSHA on onsite evaluations

Mentoring
Matching current and potential VPP sites

Safety and Health Management

course

OSHA Consultation
Separate from compliance inspectors
Free, confidential services:
Recognition of potential hazards
Suggest methods and resources for
solutions
Help with safety and health program
Written report
Training/education

OSHA Consultation
Operated by states
Obligation: commitment to correcting
serious hazards
Plan / schedule to control serious
hazards

Benefit: possible one-year exclusion

from programmed inspections
No results reported to inspectors

Safety and Health

Achievement Recognition
Program (SHARP)

Operated by Consultation
Small employers with exemplary
safety and health management
systems
Exemption from programmed
inspections for 1 year
Renewable for 1-2 years with
evaluations

Getting Started with SHARP

Request a consultation visit and survey

Involve employees
Correct hazards identified
Maintain safety and health program
meeting 1989 guidelines
Lower injury/illness and lost workday rates
below national average
Notify consultation office before changes