Health & Safety Policy

A written health and safety policy helps promote an effective safety program. Such a policy should reflect the special needs of your workplace and should be reviewed and updated annually.

There are several reasons why workplaces need a health and safety policy or program, including:

• to show employees that safety performance and business performance are compatible;
• to clearly state the company's safety beliefs, principles, objectives, strategies and processes to build buy-in through all levels of the company;
• to clearly outline employer and employee accountability and responsibility for workplace health and safety;
• to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and
• to set out safe work practices and procedures to be followed to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, and to comply with Legislative Standards

To be effective, a policy must: involve senior management and representatives in the preparation of the policy, be seen as consistent with the workplace's objectives of operating in an efficient and predictable manner, be relevant to workplace's real needs, not adopted from another workplace, and be accepted as equal in importance to the workplace's other policy objectives.

• No matter how well written, a policy is no more than empty words if a plan does not exist to put the policy into effect throughout the organization.

The policy can only be put into effect where: responsibilities are clearly defined and assigned, methods of accountability are established, proper procedures and program activities are implemented, adequate provision of financial and other resources are provided , and responsibilities for carrying out the policy objectives are clearly communicated and understood within the workplace.