Essential Elements to an Effective Safety Program

Presented by:
Bernard L. Fontaine Jr., CIH, CSP, FAIHA
The Windsor Consulting Group, Inc.

Management, Leadership and Employee Involvement
 Having a Safety and Health Policy
 Setting a Goal and Developing Objectives and Committees
 Getting Top Management to Provide Visible Leadership
 Getting Employees Involved
 Assigning Responsibilities
 Providing Adequate Authority for Enforcement and Reward
 Giving and Receiving Accountability
 Providing Periodic Program Evaluations
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Safety and Health Policy
 State clearly a worksite policy on safe and healthful work and
working conditions, so that all personnel with responsibility at the
site and personnel at other locations with responsibility for the site
understand the priority of safety and health protection in relation
to other organizational values.

Setting a Goal and Developing Objectives
 Establish and communicate a goal for the safety and health
program and objectives for meeting that goal, so that all members
of the organization understand the metric results desired and the
measures planned for achieving them.

Getting Top Management to Provide Visible Leadership
 Provide visible top management leadership in implementing the
program and ensure that all employees at the site are provided
equally high quality safety and health protection, so that all will
understand that management’s commitment is serious.

Getting Employees Involved
 Provide for and encourage employee involvement in the structure
and operation of the program and in decisions that affect their
safety and health, so that they will commit their insight and energy
to achieving the safety and health program's goal and objectives.

Assigning of Responsibilities
 Assign and communicate responsibility for all aspects of the
program, so that managers, supervisors, and employees in all parts
of the organization know what performance is expected of them.
Providing Program Evaluations
 Review program operations at least annually to evaluate their
success in meeting the goal and objectives, so that deficiencies can
be identified and the program and/or the objectives can be revised
when they do not meet the goal of effective safety and health
protection.

Providing Adequate Authority
 Provide adequate authority and resources to responsible parties,
so that assigned responsibilities can be met.
Giving and Receiving Accountability
 Hold managers, supervisors, and employees accountable for
meeting their responsibilities, so that essential tasks will be
performed.

Worksite Analysis
 Comprehensive Hazard Identification
 Regular Site Safety and Health Inspections
 Employee Reports of Hazards
 Accident/Incident Investigations
 Injury and Illness Trend Analysis

Safety Committee
 Promote and maintain interest of employees in health and safety
 Educate managers, supervisors and employees through awareness and
training activities for the prevention of workplace accidents
 Help make health and safety activities an integral part of the
organization’s operating procedures, culture and programs
 Provide an opportunity for the free discussion of health and safety
problems and possible solutions
 Inform and educate employees and supervisors about health and safety
issues, new standards, research findings, etc.
 Reduce the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses
 Ensure compliance with federal and state health and safety standards

Comprehensive Hazard Identification
 All hazards are identified by conduct comprehensive worksite
surveys to establish safety and health hazard inventories and
update the surveys periodically as expert understanding of hazards
and the methods of control change
 Analyze planned and new facilities, processes, materials, and
equipment; and
 Perform routine hazard analysis of jobs, operation, and/or varied
phases of work as needed.

Regular Site Safety and Health Inspections
 Provide for regular site safety and health inspections, so that new,
reoccurring, or previously missed hazards and failures in hazard
controls are identified.
Accident/Incident Investigations
 Provide for investigation of accidents and "near miss" incidents, so
that their root causes and the means for their prevention are
identified.

Employee Reports of Hazards
 Employee insight and experience in safety and health protection
may be used and employee concerns addressed, provide a reliable
system for employees, without fear of reprisal, to notify
management personnel about conditions that appear hazardous
and to receive timely and appropriate responses; and encourage
the employees to use the system .
Accident/Incident Trend Analysis
 Analyze injury and illness trends over time, so that patterns with
common causes can be identified and prevented.

Hazard Prevention and Control
 Appropriate Controls
 Preventive Maintenance
 Emergency Preparedness and Readiness
 Medical Program

Appropriate Control Measures
 Engineering controls – product substitution, barriers, sensors,
machine retrofits, engineering in design and application
 Administrative controls – personnel rotation, time minimization
 Personal protective equipment – respirators, protective clothing,
hearing protection, face and eye protection, clothing for cold
temperature extremes and contaminated working environments
 Procedures for safe work which are understood and followed by all
affected parties, as a result of training, positive reinforcement,
correction of unsafe performance

Emergency Preparedness and Readiness
 Plan and prepare for emergencies, and conduct training drills as
needed, so that the response of all parties to emergencies will be
"second nature.“
 Natural disasters – hurricane, earthquake, volcanic eruption, storm surge,
etc.
 Bomb threats, warfare, military interventions and attacks
 Workplace violence, threats of suicide, damage to equipment/property
 Man-made threats – chemical spills, air releases into air, contamination of soil
and waterways

Medical Program
 Establish a medical program which uses occupational health
professionals in the analysis of hazards, early recognition and
treatment of illness and injury, and limitation of the severity of
harm; and which provides first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) onsite and physician and emergency medical
care nearby, so that harm will be minimized if an injury or illness
does occur.
 Pre-employment to detect pre-existing condition or capacity for work
 Periodic to ensure no change in physical or mental health status
 Mishaps or discovery of industry hazard
 Emergency response – recovery and rescue
 Termination of employment

Preventive Maintenance
 Provide for facility and equipment maintenance, so that hazardous
breakdown is prevented.
 Housekeeping to keep facilities clean and orderly
 In-house storage of replacement parts
 Adequate training of maintenance and repair workers to make
change based on manufacturer training and education

Safety & Health Training
 Employees without mental or physical disabilities
 Foremen, supervisors and managers
 Senior leadership – business owners, policy makers, etc.
 Visitors and guests
 Temporary labor contract support and part-time workers
 Workers with mental and physical disabilities
 Specialized industry hazards, threats, new equipment and
machinery

Employee Training
 Ensure that all employees understand the hazards to which they
may be exposed and how to prevent harm to themselves and
others from exposure to these hazards, so that employees accept
and follow established safety and health protection policy,
programs, and standard operating procedures.

Foremen and Supervisor Training
 Train foremen and supervisors to carry out their safety and health
responsibilities effectively, ensure that they understand those
responsibilities and the reasons for them, including:
 Analyzing the work under their supervision to identify unrecognized
potential hazards;
 Maintaining physical protection in their work areas; and
 Reinforcing employee training on the nature of potential hazards in their
work and on needed measures, through continual performance feedback
and, if necessary, through enforcement of safe work practices.

Manager Training
 Train managers to understand their safety and health
responsibilities so that managers will effectively carry out those
responsibilities.

Key Elements
 Management Commitment and Leadership
 Assignment of Responsibility
 Training and Education
 Recordkeeping and Hazard Analysis
 Identification and Control of Hazards
 First Aid and Medical Care
 Annual Evaluation of Program Elements including Policies, Written
Programs, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Key Element: Management Commitment and Leadership
 Policy statement (goals established, issued, and communicated)
 Program revised annually
 Participation in safety meetings, inspections
 Commitment of resources
 Safety rules and procedures incorporated into site operations
 Management observes safety rules

Key Element: Training and Education
 Supervisors receive basic training pertaining to overall policy and
hazards specific to the department and processes
 Specialized training provided when needed for new technology
and equipment
 Employee training program is in place and monitored to ensure
effectiveness

Key Element: Assignment of Responsibility
 Safety designee on site, knowledgeable and accountable
 Supervisors understand safety and health responsibilities
 Employees adhere to safety rules

Key Element: Safety Committee
 Hold meetings on a regular basis, following a consistent schedule.
 Set clear meeting agendas, publish in advance and follow them
 Keep minutes of each meeting that summarize issues discussed,
proposed actions, and person(s) responsible for each item
 Publish minutes for each committee member, and make minutes
available to all employee
 Members are required to attend all meetings, except in case of
emergency. If a member cannot attend a meeting, send alternate
 Take attendance at each meeting and record in the minutes
 Publicize committee’s accomplishments and assistance to management
 Recognize efforts of individuals and groups within the organization who
make significant contributions to the safety program.

Key Element: Recordkeeping and Hazard Analysis
 Employee illness/injury records maintained and summary posted
for employee review
 Supervisors perform accident investigations, determine causes
and propose corrective action
 Injuries, near misses, and illnesses are evaluated for trends and
corrective action initiate

Key Element: Identification and Control of Hazards
 Periodic site safety inspection program involving supervisors
 Preventive controls in place (engineering controls, maintenance,
PPE)
 Action taken to address hazards
 Safety committee established, where appropriate
 Technical references available
 Enforcement procedures by management

Key Element: First Aid and Medical Care
 First aid supplies and medical service available
 Ensure proper training for providing first aid, CPR, and using
automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
 Employees informed of medical and test results
 Emergency procedures established and training provided as
necessary

Key Element: Annual Evaluation of Policies, Written Programs,
and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
 Management Leadership and Employee Involvement
 Worksite Analysis – Self-Inspection, Internal and Outside Audit,
Safety Committee Review
 Hazard Prevention and Control – New or larger workforce, new
technology or equipment, new industrial facility in geographic
location
 Training – New hire (onboarding), Job Transfer, New Machinery or
Equipment, New Requirements, Gaps in Policy and Program
 Review of Safety Committee Performance and Outcomes

Essential Elements to an Effective Safety Program

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