Introduction

This program follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines", published on January 26, 1989 in the Federal Register . These guidelines were drawn from the experience obtained enforcing the OSHA Act, from the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), OSHA programs to recognize excellence in worksite safety and health, from OSHA’s Consultation Program, and from public commentary.

This management system contains four basic program elements:

• Management Leadership and Employee Involvement; 
• Worksite Analysis;
• Hazard Prevention and Control;
• Training.

Management Leadership and Employee Involvement

Management commits the necessary resources of staff, money, and time to ensure that all persons on the worksite are protected from injury and illness hazards. In addition, management visibly leads in the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the site’s safety and health activities. Specifically, the highest level management establishes and reviews annually the site’s safety and health policy and ensures that all employees know, understand, and support that policy. All management levels, with input from hourly employees, develop an annual safety and health goal with objectives and action plans to reach that goal. At the end of each year all management levels, with input from hourly employees, evaluate progress in accomplishing the action plans, achieving all objectives, and meeting the annual goal. This evaluation, which also includes an evaluation of the overall safety and health program, results in a written report that includes the next year’s goal, objectives, and action plans, including any remaining action needed to accomplish the current year’s goal.

Management ensures that all employees, including themselves, have clearly written safety and health responsibilities included within their job description, with appropriate authority to carry out those responsibilities. Also, management ensures that all employees, including all levels of management, receive performance evaluations that include a written evaluation of the accomplishment of assigned safety and health responsibilities.

Management ensures that all visitors to the site, including contract and temporary labor, co-op students, interns, vendors, and sales people, have knowledge of site hazards applicable to them and how to protect themselves against those hazards, including emergency alarms and procedures. Management also ensures that these visitors do not introduce to the site hazards that can be prevented or that are not properly controlled.

Management ensures that at least several avenues exist for employee involvement in safety and health decision making and problem solving. These avenues may include serving on committees and ad hoc problem solving groups, acting as safety observers, assisting in training other employees, analyzing hazards inherent in site jobs and how to protect against those hazards (writing JHAs), and planning activities to heighten safety and health awareness. Management encourages employees’ involvement and devises appropriate recognition for outstanding employee participation.

• Worksite policy (note how this policy is communicated to the work force and visitors);
• Current year’s goals, objectives, action plans, and program evaluation;
• Job descriptions that include safety and health responsibilities;
• Performance evaluations that include an evaluation of safety and health responsibilities;
• Budget showing money allocated to safety and health;
• Contractor bidding proposal sheets showing all contractors’ prior safety and health record;
• Orientation outline for all site visitors, including contractors;
• Evidence of employee involvement, such as committee minutes or other records of employee participation in safety and health program decisions.