The Safety Policy

Previous chapters have discussed the main principles of safety management - but what do they mean in practice How do they relate to the employee Communicating the practices and procedures developed by a business requires a powerful tool, and this is the safety policy - the core document in the management of safety anywhere, not just in the construction industry. 

Management commitment must be demonstrated by the most effective means. For most contractors, the law requires that this is done by issuing a safety policy statement, a document signed and dated by the most senior member of the management team. The continuing role of management Is then to ensure that the requirements of the policy are actively carried out by managers, supervisors and employees alike. 

Policies are under constant scrutiny from a variety of Interested parties, because only senior management can provide the authority to ensure that safety management is properly co-ordinated, directed and funded. Its influence will be seen In the way the policy Is written, the amount of attention It gets and what happens to anyone who decides not to follow It. Most construction employers now have safety policies In place, but they need to be kept up to date. The objective Is to reflect what actually happens, and 

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The safety policy for the company, although common in most parts with the safety policy for every company, may require being prepared in detail. This would naturally cover any process, hazardous product or procedure specific to the organization. In preparing the policy, it is essential to ensure that parts referred to in Section 2(3) of the 1974 Act are covered, i.e. ... 

Often, however, SPE cartridges are used as shown in Figure 6-16B, where the remaining compounds in the sample matrix are left on the packing. In this case, the cartridges are disposed of in a proper manner consistent with the safety policy of the individual s organization. 

This experiment does not purport to address the safety issues associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. All chemicals should be handled and disposed of in an appropriate manner consistent with the safety policy of the experimenter s company, school, or organization. 

One of the actions the operators were criticized for was trying to fix the problem rather than calling in emergency personnel immediately after the gas alarm sounded. In fact, this response is the normal one for humans (see chapter 9 and [115], as well as the following discussion) if it is not the desirable response, then procedures and training must be used to ensure that a different response is elicited. The accident report states that the safety policy for this company is ... 

This should set the scene and emphasise that legislation requires schools to have a general safety policy and as there are particular safety concerns associated with practical science it is sensible to have a specific policy relating to science. It should also stress that it is the responsibility of all those involved in teaching science (including classroom assistants and voluntary helpers) to implement the safety policy and follow approved procedures. This will include ... 

The safety policy is kept up-to-date and that all those involved in teaching science are aware of its importance and follow the guidelines it contains... 

Devising codes of conduct for science is a useful way of alerting pupils to the potential risks involved in practical science and the safety policy should include copies of such codes. Appropriate codes can be formulated for each year group and can be used as part of the strategy to help develop pupils safety awareness as they get older. The policy should emphasise the importance of teaching pupils actively about any safety rules and the reasons for them. 

Effective investigation and analysis of hazards-related incidents is an important element in a quest to achieve superior results in safety. A high quality of incident investigation and analysis not only results in risk reduction, but also serves as a positive reinforcement for the safety policies and practices that management has established. 

Occupational safety and health policies are systems of codified decisions established by an organization to support the safety and health functions within the organization. Setting safety policies is when a manager develops standing safety decisions applicable to repetitive problems that may affect the safety of the organization. These are also referred to as safety and health standards to distinguish them from the safety policy statement. 

The safety policy statement is a substitute for repetitive management decisions and is mandatory. This is the guiding document in a safety system and perhaps the most important in implementing a change in safety culture. Although the concept safety should appear in the vision and mission statements of the organization, the safety policy statement is the declaration of the company s safety intent, commitment, and responsibility to constantly promote a safe and healthy work enviromnent. This policy should be extensively publicized and displayed on all notice boards, on the company website, in the employee safety handbook, and in prominent positions throughout the workplace. 

According to the ACSNl Study Group on Human Factors (HSC, 1993), a written corporate statement on the safety policy and organization should be a crucial element in the promotion and maintenance of a positive safety culture within the organization. Its objective should be to establish the corporate attitude to safety and the organizational framework through which the safety objectives can be assured. (Health and Safety Executive, 2001, p. 8)... 

The safety policy statement is a substitute for repetitive management decisions and is viewed as mandatory. This is sometimes referred to as the occupational health and safety policy. This is the gniding document in a safety system... 

The safety policy statement must be practical and achievable. Tangible objectives should be set by the policy. The policy should also list practical ongoing steps that will ensure compliance, and it should be written in such a way that it is understood by all. Ongoing briefing sessions should be in operation to ensure that everyone understands the gist of the policy, which should be featured on the company website as well as in the safety handbook, etc. 

The safety policy can be linked with other policy documents of the organization and should be consistent with the organization s overall business policies and with its policies for other management disciplines, such as quality or environmental management. 

Not all the safety policies meet the criteria of naming every aspect of safety, such as disease prevention, environmental control, etc. It is generally accepted that when the organizations refer to safety, they imply that the word safety includes all aspects... 

A safety policy statement is only as good as the employees knowledge thereof. Safety policies should be short, to the point, and most important the employees must be aware of the safety policy. The safety policy statement should be revised regularly to ensure that it is kept updated and current with organizational changes. 

Including the safety policy in the organization s annual report also indicates to the shareholders and directors the importance that the company places on its most vital assets—men, machinery, materials, and the environment. 

Planning is the establishment of objectives and processes and actions necessary to deliver results in accordance with the safety policy leading statement. 

Orientation training should involve reviewing the safety policy. 

In accordance with the safety policy described before, EUR sets probabilistic quantitative design targets as follows ... 

Directives Had the appropriate directives or other implementing documents been issued to support the safety program and implement the safety policy Were they adequate Were they distributed to the proper levels of the organization ... 

Goals Were the goals and objectives of the risk assessment effort clearly stated and communicated Are they consistent with organizational goals and the safety policy Are they adequate ... 

If the stated company procedure is to use battery drills whenever possible, or 110 V drills when this is not possible, and to never use 230V drills, then this again will reduce the risk. If a policy such as this is written down in the company safety policy statement, then you can simply refer to the appropriate section of the safety policy statement and the level of risk will be low. (Note PAT testing is described in Advanced Electrical Installation Work.)... 

Your employer must also have carried out an assessment on the risks to your health and safety in the place where you are working. You should be told about the safety policy and risk assessment for example, you may have been given a relevant leaflet when you started work. Risk assessment was discussed in some detail in Chapter 1. 

Another benefit of hiring from within is that training on company policies and practices takes less, if any, time. Your internal driver candidate should be familiar with all the safety policies and practices of the company. 

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