How to Revive Your Safety Program

Safety programs are required at any workplace, as mandated by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and regulating agencies at the state level. Without frequent review and updating, safety programs often become stale, outdated and even dangerously lacking in the necessary components. Revive your program to renew awareness of on-the-job safety, reduce injury frequency and make your workplace the safest you can possibly make it for your workers.

Things You'll Need

• Written safety program
• Worker training records
• Work injury records
• Suggestion box (optional)
• Incentive gifts (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Revive your safety program from the top. Get management involved in reviving the safety program. Tell management the steps you plan to take to boost safe attitudes and reduce injuries. Ask department managers to attend some safety committee meetings to hear the concerns, as well as the good reports, from the workers.

• 2

  Review and update your written safety program. Check for outdated procedures and replace them with the most recent OSHA, MSHA, EPA and state-level regulations. Add new sections for work procedures and equipment that have become part of your business since the original safety program was written.

• 3

  Assess your workplace and all off-site work areas. Check machinery, equipment and tools. Note the condition of safety signs. Watch the workers to see whether they are using the proper equipment, personal protective items and good safety habits in general. Determine where changes and updates may need to be made around the workplace.

• 4

  Evaluate workers' OSHA safety training records. Keep in mind that workers need training for each area of safety that was not covered in their initial training. Make sure training renewals are up-to-date as well.

• 5

  Check the company's injury records and reports. Make note of the types of injuries that occur most often and those where the number of injuries have risen.

• 6

  Get input from employees about what they feel would revive the safety program in your workplace. Have a company-wide safety meeting or smaller meetings in different areas, work sites and shifts in order to allow every worker to give input.

• 7

  Meet with other safety or management personnel to discuss results of all the areas from steps 2 through 6. Devise a plan to bring the company into compliance with all regulating agencies. Determine a suitable and feasible time line to accomplish the changes and updates.

• 8

  Announce updated and new policies and procedures in a company newsletter. Post information on how to report any unsafe equipment or procedures, including supervisors who are not following safety rules. Post a reprimand policy for workers who are caught not wearing proper personal protective equipment or using the safety measures required for a certain job.

• 9

  Schedule all needed training classes and updates. Renew "toolbox safety talks." Purchase or develop new materials to replace outdated safety talk sheets. Require these short training sessions more frequently than before. Vary who will present the safety talks, choosing from among supervisors, safety managers and the workers themselves.