How to Implement a Safety-Conscious Organization in 10 Steps

August 12, 2019 Roberta Garthwait

Safety and health management programs are the key to reducing employee accidents and injuries in the workplace. OSHA offers the following 10 steps to boost the success of your safety program:

1. Set Safety and Health as a Top Priority: Always set safety and health as the top priority. Tell your workers that making sure they finish the day and go home safely is the way you do business. Assure them that you will work with them to find and fix any hazards that could injure them or make them sick.
2. Lead by Example: Practice safe behaviors yourself and make safety part of your daily conversations with workers.
3. Implement a Reporting System: Develop and communicate a simple procedure for workers to report any injuries, illnesses, incidents (including near misses/close calls), hazards or safety and health concerns without fear of retaliation. Include an option for reporting hazards or concerns anonymously.
4. Provide Training: Train workers on how to identify and control hazards using various training techniques, such as hands-on training, presentations and group exercises.
5. Conduct Inspections: Inspect the workplace with workers and ask them to identify any activity, piece of equipment or material that concerns them.
6. Collect Hazard Control Ideas: Ask workers for ideas on improvements and follow up on their suggestions. Provide them time during work hours, if necessary, to research solutions.
7. Implement Hazard Controls: Assign workers the task of choosing, implementing and evaluating the solutions they come up with.
8. Address Emergencies: Identify foreseeable emergency scenarios and develop instructions on what to do in each case. Meet with employees to discuss these procedures and post them in a visible location in the workplace.
9. Seek Input on Workplace Changes: Before making significant changes to the workplace, work organization, equipment or materials, consult with workers to identify potential safety or health issues.
10. Make Improvements: Set aside a regular time each week or monthly to discuss safety and health issues, with the goal of identifying ways to improve the program.