Does a safety and health program really make a difference?

Definitely!

The best Safety and Health Programs involve every level of the organization, instilling a safety culture that reduces accidents for workers and improves the bottom line for managers. When Safety and Health are part of the organization and a way of life, everyone wins.Does a safety and health program really make a difference?

There are four crucial questions you should be asking. The detailed answers are found in the four modules of this eTool.

eTools are electronic Compliance Assistance Tools that provide guidance information for developing a comprehensive safety and health program. Although Safety and Health Programs are required by some states, there is no general OSHA requirement for such a program. Therefore, this eTool includes elements that go beyond specific OSHA mandates, such as recommendations for good industry practice.  As indicated in the disclaimer, eTools do not create new OSHA requirements.

Module 1 - Safety Health Payoffs Why do I Need a Safety and Health Program?

       

FACT: Nearly 50 workers are injured every minute of the 40-hour work week.
FACT: Almost 17 of these workers die each day.
FACT: These injuries cost society $127.7 billion in 1997, according to the National Safety Council figures.

An effective safety and health program makes all the difference in preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The result is lower accident-related costs. Other benefits include reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, higher productivity, and improved employee morale. And it's the right thing to do.

Module 2 - Management System: Safety & Health Integration

What is a Safety and Health Program and where does it fit into my management system?

If your team wants to reduce accidents, injuries, illnesses, and their related costs, everyone must place as much emphasis on safety and health issues as they place on other core management issues, such as production, sales, and quality control. To be most effective, safety and health must be balanced with, and incorporated into, the other core business processes. This module describes the necessary "culture" and components of an effective safety and health program.

"Safety First" may sound good, but in reality, safety should not be considered separately. Rather, it must become a basic value of your company. Change "Safety First" to "Safe production is our only standard." This emphasizes the idea that it's fine to produce as hard and as fast as possible, as long as it can be done safely.

Safety Health Culture

What is this thing called culture?

Culture is a combination of an organization's:

• Attitudes, 
• Behaviors, 
• Beliefs, 
• Values, 
• Ways of doing things, and
• Other shared characteristics of a particular group of people.

Culture Can:

• Socialize newcomers.
• Define influence.
• Determine values.

A strong safety and health culture is the result of:

• Positive workplace attitudes �C from the president to the newest hire.
• Involvement and buy-in of all members of the workforce.
• Mutual, meaningful, and measurable safety and health improvement goals.
• Policies and procedures that serve as reference tools, rather than obscure rules.
• Personnel training at all levels within the organization.
• Responsibility and accountability throughout the organization.

When these criteria are consistently and effectively aimed at accident reduction, a positive safety and health culture is created.

What are the basic elements of a safety and health culture?

• All individuals within the organization believe they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace [Sound Clip].
• Each person accepts personal responsibility for ensuring his or her own safety and health.
• Everyone believes he or she has a duty to protect the safety and health of others.

As you learn more about the components of an effective safety and healthful management system, methods to assist in developing or improving your safety and health culture will be provided.

Module 3: Conducting a Safety & Health Checkup

Now that you've reviewed the components of a safety and health system, you can assess your company��s safety and health system. The evaluation is divided into four ?sections:
1. Management Leadership/Employee
    Involvement
2. Worksite Analysis
3. Hazard Prevention and Control ?
4. Safety and Health Training

Module 4: Creating Change

If you completed the assessment in Module 3, you now have some idea how your workplace is doing in implementing a safety and health system.

Do you need some help in making improvements? To start you in the right direction, check out:

• Obstacles to a Successful Safety and Health Program (and ways to overcome the obstacles).
• Strategic Map for Change and Continuous Improvement for Safety and Health
• Management Processes Typically Ripe for Improvement
• Helpful tools offer additional assistance including example Safety and Health Programs and Management policies.
• Safety and Health Fact Sheets

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