Many workplaces have a health and safety bulletin board in an area where all workers pass by, such as the staff entrance way, locker room or the common lunch room. If you can’t install a bulletin board, post information on a wall that employees can easily access. Mobile workplaces could use a binder or information kit that stays in the vehicle. The important thing is to make the information accessible to all employees.
A health and safety policy is your commitment to workplace health and safety and ultimately, accident and illness prevention. A written policy statement is only required for workplaces with six or more employees.
There is no one right way to create a health and safety policy statement, but generally, it should include:
- Your commitment to providing a healthy and safe workplace
- Your commitment to following applicable laws
- Your supervisor’s responsibility to maintain a safe work environment in their area of control
Your worker’s responsibility to follow the program and report hazards
As the employer, you must:
- Post a copy of the policy in the workplace
- Review the policy annually (re-sign and post)
See the Download section for a sample Health and Safety Policy statement.
Health and Safety Program
You must also develop and maintain a program to implement your health and safety policy.
A health and safety program will be unique to each workplace but there are common elements, including:
- A set of standards (policy, procedures) that define:
- responsibility and accountability
- specific requirements
- health and safety activities
- Communication of the standards
- Evaluation of effectiveness
By working through the sections of the Safety Roadmap, you will begin to establish the foundation of a health and safety program.
