The Safety Program

Remember, the safety program is a general document that spells out the general safety principles by which a company operates. Some companies have a document called the safety manual. Depending on the contents of the safety manual, it may fit OSHA s definition for a safety program. Safety programs usually change less frequently than site-specific safety plans. We will see some examples of how these two types of documents interrelate later in this section. 

K your company is a metal stamper or manufacturer, you will probably have a lot of concern over machine guarding issues. In fact, you might have a volume or more regarding punch press guarding, shears, assembly lines, paints and finishes, and more. If your company deals more with construction, you will likely have a concern regarding steel erection, tying off, trenching and excavation, and other issues. If your company does office 

The point is that every company s safety program should be different because every CEO s commitment to safety is different and every company s culture is different. The important principle to remember is that the safety program for your company should address general safety hazards that your team members will encounter. The more hazardous the work, the more extensive the safety program will be. 

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Exactly what type of lessons are learned cannot be foreseen. The size and diversity of site activities give rise to a wide variety of health and safety hazards. Individual sites need to document and disseminate information that could enhance their hazard recognition and mitigation. Effective documentation is an important concept that everyone needs to buy in to if the safety program is going to be effective. Wliy workers fail to document potential problems has been the subject of much debate. 

Although inspeeting the worksite is important for enforeement of important requirements, it is also a useful tool to help determine if the site orientation, the safety plan, or the safety program is eflfeetive. If newly oriented workers are out of eomplianee in eertain areas, this may indi-eate that the orientation needs to be reviewed and improved. 

To ensure that the safety program is working, most companies have a safety policy follow-through. This includes monthly safety meetings, performance reviews, and safety audits. The monthly safety meetings include a discussion of any accidents (and resolution of prevention means), training on specific issues, inspection of facilities, and delegation of work. Performance reviews within the company for all employees must have a visible safety performance component. 

Although the company has very limited safety resources onsite, management perceives safety as added value and hires individuals from organizations with a good safety culture. The management commitment to safety is clearly evident in each aspect of the safety program. 

Relative to the safety program discussed earlier in this chapter, and considering the potential benefits to be derived from the employment of advanced monitoring technologies, the committee believes that there is probably a need for developing specialized technology in this area. 

The Quality Assurance and Laboratory Inspection Section at DCLS consists of a staff of five, and is responsible for a number of functions in addition to its QA function. Staff members inspect and certify independent and municipal laboratories in Virginia that conduct analyses covered by EPA s Safe Drinking Water Act. In addition, the section is responsible for administering the safety program for the laboratory. Another function of the section is to evaluate a number of products for compliance with bid specifications in support of procurement activities for the Division of Purchases and Supply. Because of these... 

PPE should be used as a compulsory part of the safety program and should not be considered a substitute for engineering control or work practices. The basic elements of a safety program for PPE should be an in-depth evaluation of the equipment needed to protect against the hazards at the workplace. The employee should be trained in using this equipment. 

Identification of individuals responsible for various elements of the safety program, and their specific responsibilities. 

Direct the safety program and proactively find and correct hazards. 

A complete system safety program spans the entire life of the system and, in some ways, the safety program during operations is even more important than during development. System safety does not stop after development it is just getting started. The focus now, however, shifts to the operations safety control structure. 

When STAMP is used as the foundation of the safety program, safety and risk are a function of the effectiveness of the controls to enforce safe system behavior, that is, the safety constraints and the control structure used to enforce those constraints. 

If employees understand the intent of the safety program and commit to it, they are more likely to comply with that intention rather than simply follow rules when it is convenient to do so. 

B.3.5.2 Final element configuration software both steam valve outputs are de-energized in the case that a safe output action is commanded by the safety program. 

Overall, the assessor s job is to ensure that management systems are in place, that they are effective, and they are being followed. Rather than checking on the details of the safety program, the assessor will evaluate management systems and their effectiveness. 

In order for a BBS program to retain its effectiveness it is important not to apply safety measures that are not needed—a point made by Olesky (2012). He notes that the intent of reflective safety vests is to protect workers from vehicular traffic. Yet these vests are often worn by workers who have no exposure at all to vehicles, electricians working on the upper stories of a building, for example. Doing so reduces the perceived usefulness of the safety program and reflects adversely on the judgment of the safety managers. 

When the first audits were conducted at our facilities, the base-line audits were a disappointment. With a potential of 100 available points, most facilities scored in the 20 s the highest score for a manufacturing plant was 34. In other words, at Midas locations the safety program had little direction and content. It took months to complete the base-line audits. After the scores were revealed to senior management, the CEO made it his goal to have all locations improve. 

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