10 basic elements of a company safety plan

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# What should you report and investigate when an incident occurs? Occupational health and safety legislation in all Canadian jurisdictions requires that specific injuries and certain categories of incidents must be reported. There may be minimum legal requirements for their investigation. Many organizations investigate other events (e.g., where damage did not involve injuries) and "near misses." The health and safety program should specify: - What is to be reported. - To whom it will be reported. - How it is reported. - Which incidents are investigated. - Who will investigate them. - What forms are used. - What education and training investigators will receive. - What records are to be kept. - What summaries and statistics are to be developed. - How often reports are prepared. Incidents are investigated so that measures can be taken to prevent a recurrence of similar events. The investigation represents an "after-the-fact" response for any particular mishap. However, a thorough investigation may uncover hazards or problems that can be eliminated "before-the-fact" for the future. After causes have been determined, prompt follow-up action is required to achieve the purpose of the investigation. Please note: The term incident is used in some situations and jurisdictions to cover both an "accident" and "incident". It is argued that the word "accident" implies that the event was related to fate or chance. When the root cause is determined, it is usually found that many events were predictable and could have been prevented if the right actions were taken - making the event not one of fate or chance (thus, the word incident is used). For simplicity, we use the term incident to mean all of the above events. ## What are emergency procedures and how are they established? Emergency procedures are plans for dealing with emergencies such as fires, explosions, major releases of hazardous materials, violent occurrences, or natural hazards. When such events occur, th…

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# What should you report and investigate when an incident occurs? (cont.) ## How do you establish first aid programs? (cont.) Under no circumstances should the reduction of severity ratings be a reason for initiating a "modified work" program. ## How do you prevent violence and harassment in the workplace? All jurisdictions in Canada have legislation specific to harassment and violence (note that the legislation in the Yukon will be in force in September 2021). Please see the OSH Answers on Violence and Harassment in the Workplace - Legislation for more details. All jurisdictions specify elements required in harassment and violence prevention policies and programs. While there are variations between jurisdictions, there are many common elements such as: - Defining violence and harassment. Some definitions include bullying formally - Conducting a workplace assessment (a hazard identification and risk assessment) specific to harassment or violence - Developing and implement preventative measures - Developing a policy and program, implement the program, and corresponding procedures for reporting of an incident - Developing a reporting and resolution process, including how to report an incident or occurrence - Providing worker instruction, education, or training - Determining procedures to ensure confidentiality and privacy - Listing supports that are available (internally, externally) - Requiring record keeping - Using continual review and improvement processes to update the policy and programs - Reporting to the jurisdiction, as necessary - Including additional requirements for situations such as family (domestic) violence, or working late night hours in retail, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. ## How do you promote worker involvement in health and safety programs? Once the health and safety program has been set in place and the program appears to be running smoothly, effort is still required to maintain compliance, enthusiasm and interest. S…

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# What are workplace inspections? Workplace inspections help to identify existing hazards so that appropriate corrective action can be taken. Health and safety legislation requires workplace inspections as a proactive action to ensure workplace health and safety. The frequency of planned formal inspections may be set out in legislation. Records of previous incidents and the potential for incidents are factors to be included when determining if more frequent inspections are needed. Supervisors are responsible for conducting their own inspections (for the areas they are responsible for) and for taking action on unsafe conditions and acts as they are reported or encountered. General inspections may be conducted by health and safety committee members or representatives, especially if they have received training or certification. Other criteria for selecting the inspection team are: - Knowledge of regulations and procedures. - Knowledge of the hazards in the workplace. - Experience with work processes involved. Pre-planning any inspection is always worthwhile. Documents, such as previous inspections, incident investigations, maintenance reports, and committee minutes, should be consulted. If a checklist is to be used, it should be reviewed and changed to meet specific needs of the workplace. Checklists are useful aids in that they help ensure that no items are overlooked in an inspection. One type of checklist is the "critical parts inventory". This inventory itemizes parts and items that may result in an incident if they fail. While many ready-made checklists are available in safety literature, it is best to adapt these to your workplace. The health and safety committee should participate in the preparation of these tailor-made checklists. ## Sample Inspection List Date: Location/Department: Health and Safety Program - General Elements CCOHS

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# Health and Safety Program - General Elements (cont.) ## ABC Transport To all employees January 1, 2021 At ABC Transport the safety and health of our workers comes first. Management is committed to doing everything possible to prevent injuries, to promote prevention, and to maintain a safe and healthy environment. To this end: 1) all supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their workers are trained in approved safe work procedures and to ensure that workers follow safe work procedures and all related regulations; 2) all personnel are required to support the OH&S program and make safety and health a part of their daily routine and to ensure that they are following safe work procedures and relevant regulations; 3) all personnel will be held accountable for implementing this program; and 4) all relevant laws and regulations are incorporated in our program as minimum standards - Signed by President For more information, please also see the OSH Answers' Guide to Writing an OHS Policy Statement. ## What are the program elements? While organizations will have different needs and scope for specific elements required in their health and safety program, the following basic items should be considered in each case: - Individual responsibility. - The establishment and role of the health and safety committee or representative. - Applicable health and safety legislation requirements, and organizational health and safety rules. - Safe work procedures. - Worker orientation. - Training and education. - Workplace inspections. - Hazard identification, assessment, and control - Reporting and investigating incidents. Health and Safety Program - General Elements CCOHS

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# Why is worker orientation important? (cont.) ## How do you design an education or training program? (cont.) - Hazard identification, hazard control, and risk assessment. - Emergency procedures. - Incident investigation. - Conducting planned inspections. - Auditing skills. - Training. - Planned task observation. - Communication skills. - Motivation and discipline. - Managing workers. - Off the job safety. - Problem solving skills. - First aid. - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)/chemical safety. - Industrial hygiene and medical surveillance programs. - Duty to accommodate. When providing training, an instructor should: - Receive training in how to instruct. - Prepare an orderly plan for instruction. - Explain the reasons why each step must be done in a certain way. All instructors should: - Plan the session beforehand, break the job down into steps, and have training aids available. - Explain what is to be done. - Describe all the hazards and protective measures. - Demonstrate each step, stress key points, and answer any questions. - Have the worker carry out each step, correct errors, and compliment good performance. Check frequently after the worker is working independently to ensure correct performance. Documented correct work procedures are very important in job skills training. Health and Safety Program - General Elements CCOHS

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# What should you report and investigate when an incident occurs? (cont.) ## What are emergency procedures and how are they established? (cont.) The objective of the plan is to prevent or minimize fatalities, injuries, and damage. The organization and procedures for handling these sudden and unexpected situations must be clearly defined. The development of the plan follows a logical sequence. Compile a list of possible hazards or scenarios (for example: fires, explosions, floods). - Identify the possible major consequences of each (for example: casualties, damage). - Determine the required countermeasures (for example: evacuation, rescue, firefighting). - Inventory the resources needed to carry out the planned actions (for example: medical supplies, rescue equipment, training personnel). - Based on these considerations, establish the necessary emergency organization and procedures. Communication, training, and periodic drills are required to ensure adequate performance when the plan must be implemented. ## How do you establish first aid programs? First aid is generally prescribed under health and safety legislation or workers' compensation legislation. The OSH program must include the following information: - Location of first aid stations or medical facilities, and any required supplies or equipment. - Identification of first aid attendants. - Identification of other staff trained in first aid. - Policy on pre-employment and follow-up medical examinations. - Procedures for transporting injured workers to outside medical facilities. - Provision of first aid training. - Procedure for recording injuries and illnesses. A policy on return to work after a lost-time accident might appropriately be included in this section of the program. In general, if injured workers are offered alternative employment: - The work should be suitable and productive. - The worker's physician must agree that such employment will not harm the worker or slow down the rec…

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# What are examples of responsibilities of safety coordinators? (cont.) ## Why are safe work procedures established? (cont.) Compliance with health and safety rules should be considered a condition of employment. Rules must be explained to new workers when they start work or if they are transferred or retrained. After a suitable interval, these workers should be briefed to ensure they understand the rules applicable to their work. The employer must establish procedures for dealing with repeat rule violators. Supervisors are responsible for correcting unsafe acts, such as a breach of rules, and they must be supported in this duty. Points that should be considered in establishing procedures on this issue are: - Ensure that workers are aware of the rule. - Ensure that workers are not encouraged, coerced, or forced to disregard the rule by fellow workers. - All rules are to be followed. - All violations will be managed. Action is taken promptly. The role of discipline is that of education, not punishment. - While having guidelines for penalties for the first offence or infractions may be desirable, some flexibility is required when applying the guidelines since each case will vary in its circumstances. - Action is done confidentially, consistently, and recorded. ## How do you establish safe work procedures? Safe work procedures are the safest way of doing a job, job instruction, monitoring performance, and incident investigation. Job safety analysis (JSA), also known as "job hazard analysis", is the first step in developing the correct procedure. In this analysis, each task of a specific job is examined to identify hazards and to determine the safest way to do the job. Job safety analysis involves the following steps: 1. Select the job. 2. Break down the job into a sequence of steps. 3. Identify the hazards. 4. Define preventive measures. - The analysis should be conducted on all critical tasks or jobs as a first priority. Critical jobs include: - Th…