6 Tips for Starting a Safety Program
August 9 – 15 is OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week for 2021; a campaign developed to encourage organizations to create, update, and improve workplace safety programs. This year the theme is 10 Ways to Get Your Safety and Health Program Started.
Resources for Starting a Safety Program
If you want to get started but don’t know how, many resources are available from OSHA and Horizon Solutions. Here are a few:
- 10 Ways to Get Your Safety and Health Program Started handout from OSHA.
- Three Core Element of an Effective Safety and Health Program webinar from OSHA
- Small Business Safety and Health Handbook from OSHA and NIOSH
- DIY Safety Check Workbook from Horizon Solutions
- Prevention and Safety Guide from Horizon Solutions
Six Tips for Getting Started
Starting a safety program is the right thing to do, and it can also help prevent workplace injuries while helping you avoid hefty OSHA fines. Keep the following six tips in mind as you develop your program.
#1. Develop a Compliant Program
Familiarize yourself with the appropriate health and safety regulations for your industry. Then start the process of identifying hazards in your facilities and addressing them with policies, process changes, safeguards, communication, and training.
#2. Establish Safety Leadership
Safety must come from the top down. Before starting a safety program, think through the roles and responsibilities and assign concrete actions and tasks. Demonstrating strong safety leadership will validate your program’s importance.
#3. Create a Safety Culture
Make safety a part of everyday life at your facility. Safety impacts all levels within an organization and every task performed. Building a safety culture means investing in safety, leading by example, providing necessary training, encouraging feedback, and promptly correcting issues.
#4. Encourage Employee Engagement
When starting a safety program, it’s critical that you get your workforce involved and keep them engaged. If workers don’t have an active role in the program, they won’t participate in it. Encourage engagement with meetings, communications, and training and offer a reporting system.
#5. Provide Safety Training
A safety program is only as effective as the training that supports it. From onboarding to role-specific modules and courses, safety training and prevent accidents and save lives. Familiarize yourself with training regulations for your industry and develop a corresponding curriculum and schedule.
#6. Assess and Evaluate Regularly
Safety isn’t something you can set and forget. As you begin the process of starting a safety program, don’t forget to include an assessment schedule. Conditions change and regulations get updated; evaluating your facility regularly can help you make improvements and ensure compliance.
We Can Help You Get Started!
As you get to work starting a safety program, remember—you’re not alone! Our Safety Specialists, Qualified Safety Sales Professionals (QSSP), and OSHA-Certified Trainers are here to help with expert advice. Contact us today!
