How To Improve Your Health and Safety Program

The establishment and implementation of health and safety programs are very important for organizations that are serious about improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks and creating better, safer working conditions. Such programs provide adequate systematic policies, procedures, and practices to protect their employees from, and allow them to recognize, job-related safety and health hazards. The provision of systematic identification, evaluation, and prevention or control of general workplace hazards that may arise from foreseeable conditions, is critical for the overall success of the company.

The Key to an Effective Health and Safety Program

An effective safety and health program can be broken down into four main elements:

• Management commitment and employee involvement;

• Worksite analysis;

• Hazard prevention and control; and

• Safety and health training. 

All four of these elements are important, but the need for a worksite analysis or assessment stands out above the others as a critical method of measuring sustainability in safety. 

Identify Worksite Safety Hazards and Gaps

An analysis of the workplace operations, policies, procedures and programs will allow the identification of existing hazards and conditions, as well as missing links that will contribute to a safer organization. This process can be effectively accomplished by taking one or both of the following course of actions:

• Health and Safety Audit:

  • Obtain an onsite, third-party Health and Safety audit that consists of observing operations as well as a detailed review of pertinent documentation such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) injury logs, policies and procedures.

• OSHA Program Review:

  • Complete a third-party review of all OSHA required and other existing programs. It is important to note that the following programs/plans are required by OSHA:

    • Permit Space – (if employees are required to enter into permit-required confined spaces) - 29CFR 1910.146 (c)(4)

    • Fire Prevention – (if company has greater than 10 employees) - 29 CFR 1910.39 (b)

    • The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) – 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1)

    • Hazard Communication – 29 CFR 1910.1200 (e)

    • Hearing Conservation – (whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels) - 29 CFR 1910.95 (c)

    • Emergency Action – (if the company has greater than 10 employees) - 29 CFR 1910.38 (b)

    • Respiratory Protection – (if respirators are required to be worn) - 29 CFR 1910.134 (c)

    • Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control – (if employees are in positions that can be potentially exposed) - 29 CFR 1910.1030

  • Other various programs that may be necessary or recommended based on operations involved include but are not limited to:

    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

    • Fall Protection

    • Powered Industrial Truck (Forklift)

    • Visitor/Contractor Safety

    • Crane and Hoist

    • Workplace Violence and Active Shooter

Make Improvements to Your Health & Safety Program

KERAMIDA is a full-service Security, Environmental, Health and Safety consulting firm that can assist businesses in evaluating their Health and Safety Programs along with making the required improvements by incorporating elements from OSHA, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and any requirements provided by the client.

KERAMIDA performs onsite audits and reviews all documentation to ensure regulatory compliance and the overall safety of your employees by:

• Categorizing findings from the audit and program reviews in a report in accordance by the affected standards, level of severity and corrective measures that must be taken. Best management practices will be included within the final report as well. From this report, an action plan can be initiated by the company to correct all non-conformities in order of priority.

• Developing and/or revising any Health and Safety programs that are found missing or insufficient.

These services will determine regulatory compliance as well as assist with maintaining an overall safer organization. For immediate assistance, contact us today or call (800) 508-8034 to speak with one of our health and safety professionals.

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Blog Author

Andrew Tirmenstein
Senior Project Manager, Security, Health and Safety Services
KERAMIDA Inc.

Contact Andrew at atirmenstein@keramida.com.