Elements of Effective Safety Programmes

The Essential Elements of a Successful Safety
Program
A strong and successful safety program is critical for all businesses, particularly those in the
construction industry. Of course, it can be difficult to truly implement and sustain a culture of
safety that will provide for the ongoing support and protection of all employees. Fortunately,
there are a number of resources that can help you create a program that will facilitate the
development of an effective safety culture and bolster your health and safety programs.
Essential Elements for Safety Success

Of the many resources on effective safety management that one can find in a simple online
search, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) “Recommended
Practices for Safety and Health Programs for Construction,”1 issued in 2016, perhaps best
summarizes the essential elements of a successful safety program. Initially issued in 1989 as
“Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines,” this latest version reflects on OSHA’s
experiences with successful contractors and others to establish 7 Core Elements for safety and
health programs, which is as follows:
Management Leadership
• Top management demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement in safety and

health, communicates that commitment to workers, and sets up program expectations and
responsibilities.
• Managers at all levels make safety and health a core organizational value, establish safety
and health goals and objectives, provide adequate resources and support for the program, and set
a good example.
Worker Participation
• Workers and their representatives are involved in all aspects of the program—including
setting goals, identifying and reporting hazards, investigating incidents, and tracking progress.
• All workers, including contractors and temporary workers, understand their roles and
responsibilities under the program and what they need to do to effectively carry them out.
• Workers are encouraged and have means to communicate openly with management and to
report safety and health concerns without fear of retaliation.
• Any potential barriers or obstacles to worker participation in the program (for example,
language, lack of information, or disincentives) are removed or addressed.
Hazard Identification and Assessment
• Procedures are put in place to continually identify workplace hazards and evaluate risks.
Safety and health hazards from routine, non-routine, and emergency situations are identified and
assessed.
• An initial assessment of existing hazards, exposures, and control measures is followed by
periodic inspections and reassessments to identify new hazards.
• Any incidents are investigated with the goal of identifying the root causes.
• Identified hazards are prioritized for control.
Hazard Prevention and Control
• Employers and workers cooperate to identify and select methods for eliminating, preventing,
or controlling workplace hazards.
• Controls are selected according to a hierarchy that uses engineering solutions first, followed
by safe work practices, administrative controls, and finally, personal protective equipment (PPE).
• A plan is developed to ensure that controls are implemented, interim protection is provided,
progress is tracked, and the effectiveness of controls is verified.
Education and Training
• All workers are trained to understand how the program works and how to carry out the
responsibilities assigned to them under the program.
• Employers, managers, and supervisors receive training on safety concepts and their
responsibility for protecting workers’ rights and responding to workers’ reports and concerns.
• All workers are trained to recognize workplace hazards and to understand the control
measures that have been implemented.
Program Evaluation and Improvement
• Control measures are periodically evaluated for effectiveness.

• Processes are established to monitor program performance, verify program implementation,
and identify program shortcomings and opportunities for improvement.
• Necessary actions are taken to improve the program and overall safety and health
performance.
Communication and Coordination for Employers on Multiemployer Worksites

• Host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies commit to providing the same level of
safety and health protection to all employees.
• Host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies communicate the hazards present at the
worksite and the hazards that the work of contract workers may create on site.
• Host employers establish specifications and qualifications for contractors and staffing
agencies.
• Before beginning work, host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies coordinate on
work planning and scheduling to identify and resolve any conflicts that could affect safety or
health.
OSHA’s discussion on each of these program elements includes the recommended practices for
the program, as well as several action items for each. Each action item is an example of the steps
that leaders can take to establish, implement, maintain, and improve a safety and health program.
Leaders looking to improve their organization’s safety programs, and take advantage of the
insights of others, would be wise to optimize implementation of these essential elements.

14 Essential Elements for a Successful Health

and Safety Program
Sun, 09/30/2007 - 11:50pm 1 Comment
by Vince McLeod, CIH and Glenn R. Ketcham, CIH
Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Control
This element is key to any health and safety program. When asked, most people on the street
would say is this is what a safety program is all about. This involves proactive hazard
recognition in terms of environment (the surroundings of the workers), the people actually doing
the work, equipment/materials used in the work process, and processes/practices themselves. A
formal “Job Hazard Analysis” assists with the process and is integral to many of the other
elements listed below. In the lab, as part of the Chemical Hygiene Plan, standard operating
procedures (SOPs) are a product of this element. Once hazards have been identified and
prioritized they must be controlled. The generally accepted hierarchy of controls is
elimination/substitution, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and administrative
controls.
Workplace Design and Engineering

We often see failure in this aspect when we are called in to solve a problem. Designing safety
into a workplace is as important as designing in efficiency (and these often go hand in hand).
Some of this is already done by building code (e.g., electrical standards, fire suppression, and
egress requirements) but other aspects must be consciously addressed such as ergonomics,
ventilation, and noise requirements for the anticipated work at hand, equipment and machine
safeguarding, materials handling and storage, use of automated processes, and added reserve
capacity.
Safety Performance Management

This can be thought of as the measurable actions of employees in relation to safety in their work.
Performance measurement should reflect how workers (management and workers alike) are
actually doing compared to applicable regulatory requirements and identified corporate goals.
This should include a system of accountability for meeting those standards within their control.
Regulatory Compliance Management

Animal care facilities must meet OSHA, EPA, DOT, and often accreditation agency specific
standards. Non-compliance can have serious ramifications in terms of financial liability
(penalties and fines), institutional reputation, and in some cases the ability to continue
operations. It is very important to have a mechanism for staying informed and complying with
existing regulations and standards. It is also very important to keep abreast of new or evolving
regulations that will impact your operations. A self-assessment or assessment conducted by an
outside party is a good tool for determining level of compliance.
Occupational Health
The nature and scope of an occupational health program can vary widely from company to
company. Often in animal care settings one might expect pre-employment health evaluations,
periodic medical surveillance, injury protocols (including first aid and bite/scratch procedures)
and maintenance of medical records, and coordination with the departments when work related
health and safety issues arise. One might typically find coordination of respiratory protection and
hearing conservation programs within the Occupational Health component of a program.
Information Collection
Information is the lifeblood for proper decision making. Equally important to collection of
information is its subsequent management. We have seen situations where important information
had been collected but never analyzed nor distributed to those with a need. Much of the safety
and health information collected must be managed properly to maintain regulatory compliance.
Employee Involvement
Employee involvement in all aspects of a safety and health program benefits both the employees
and management. The front line employees have experienced and seen issues and problems that
might not otherwise be recognized by management. It also serves as a bridge of understanding
for actions taken by the employer in terms of heath and safety.
Motivation, Behavior, and Attitudes

The goal of this element is to change behavior and attitude to promote a safer and healthier
workplace. It places great value on visible management leadership and support for changing
unsafe behaviors, attitudes, and work processes. One additional key component is the
reinforcement of the desired behaviors through positive recognition.
Training and Orientation

Training can assume a variety of forms from classroom style to hands-on, from general concepts
to task specific. Besides the need for safety training from a regulatory standpoint it is critical that
employees know what to do to perform their jobs correctly and safely.
Organizational Communications
Communication within the organization keeps employees informed of new and existing policies,
procedures, lessons learned, and missions. Likewise it provides avenues from the front line to
upper management for consideration in the development and revision of those polices. The flow
of information in both directions is critical for an effective health and safety program.
Management and Control of External Exposures

This might be considered incident or emergency planning. Plans need to be developed for
emergencies such as severe weather, incidents stemming from contractor or “neighborhood
incidents,” and manmade issues such as protestors or activists.
Environmental Management
Environmental management is a broad and complex enough issue that it requires a program of its
own. Often there is overlap of duties and as such, environmental management is grouped under
the health and safety program umbrella. Issues from proper permitting to preventing potential
environmental liability are considered in this element.
Workplace Planning and Staffing

In providing an effective safety and health program effective human resource management is
critical. It includes development of accurate job descriptions to take into consideration job duties
(such as respirator use or hearing protection use, manual material handling, exposure to
allergens) that may trigger the need for pre-employment evaluations and medical surveillance.
Limiting exposures by administrative controls or other safety considerations (e.g. tasks requiring
two people) and development of safety rules would both be considered in this element.
Assessments, Audits, and Evaluations
This final set of tools provides a measure for how an organization is doing in terms of health and
safety. These are used to monitor compliance, behaviors, and provide a yardstick for discerning
progress. A variety of tools are required to address these needs. These can be performed by in-
house staff, committees, as part of a job task, or with outside consultants. The assessment results
serve as a springboard for improvement.
We have just skimmed the surface. With this discussion we hoped to provide you with a starting
point for review of your own program, to identify any holes, and to provide a catalyst to move
forward. This approach fits well with many of the process improvement models that
organizations have adopted. This may not cause you to lose unwanted pounds, or make you rich
without effort, but it will help those you work with return home each night in as good condition
as they arrived at work that morning.

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The Essential Elements of a Successful Safety

Essential Elements for Safety Success

• Top management demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement in safety and

Hazard Identification and Assessment

Hazard Prevention and Control

Education and Training

Program Evaluation and Improvement

• Control measures are periodically evaluated for effectiveness.

Communication and Coordination for Employers on Multiemployer Worksites

14 Essential Elements for a Successful Health

Workplace Design and Engineering

Safety Performance Management

Regulatory Compliance Management

Motivation, Behavior, and Attitudes

Training and Orientation

Management and Control of External Exposures

Workplace Planning and Staffing

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