Theory of Health and Safety Policy
Health and Safety Management Systems
The health and safety policy sets the whole framework of the Safety Management System (SMS). From an SMS point of view, the policy is just a statement of intent – a demonstration of commitment. It frames the company’s vision on health and safety. The policy should state the overall health and safety objectives of the organization and express commitment to improving health and safety performance; to demonstrate that commitment, it should be authorized by top management. The policy should commit the organization to continual improvement and compliance with legislation and should be communicated to all employees and other interested parties and kept up to date by periodic review.
Communication of Health and Safety Information
A health and safety policy:
- Tells people about a company’s approach to managing health and safety.
- Communicates the organization’s commitment to health and safety to existing employees (preferably by means of their own copy).
- Can be used:
- In the induction of new employees (to stress the importance of safety).
- To involve workforce representatives in writing and amending the policy when necessary.
- To communicate information relating to different sections of the policy at regular briefing sessions.
Requirements for a Written Health and Safety Policy
A health and safety policy may be a requirement of national legislation in some regions. Even if it is not a legal requirement, it is required by ILO-OSH 2001 (which supports ILO conventions) and ISO 45001. The safety policy is a key document.
The policy should be documented (paper or electronic) and authorized by top management (e.g. chief executive officer). The policy is meaningless on its own; it needs to be implemented through “organization” and “arrangements” within a safety management system.
General Principles and Objectives of a Health and Safety Policy Document
The principle of the health and safety policy document is that, in simple terms, it sets out:
- What needs to be done.
- Who needs to do it.
- How it is going to be achieved.
The policy is therefore usually made up of:
- A statement of intent that sets out the aims and objectives of the organization regarding health and safety.
- An organizational structure that details the people with health and safety responsibilities and their duties.
- The systems and procedures in place to manage risks.
The objectives of the policy will be stated in different ways for different organisations but two very crude and simplistic objectives could be zero accidents and total legal compliance – they may be deemed to be unachievable but they represent a best practice target to aim for.
More practical objectives might be expressed in relation to the contribution made to business performance such as:
- Supporting human resource development.
- Minimizing the financial losses which arise from avoidable unplanned events.
- Recognizing that accidents, ill health, and incidents result from failings in management control and are not necessarily the fault of individual employees.
- Recognizing that the development of a culture supportive of health and safety is necessary to achieve adequate control over risks.
- Ensuring a systematic approach to the identification of risks and the allocation of resources to control them.
- Supporting quality initiatives aimed at continuous improvement.
These objectives align better with the general business objectives of the organization and serve to integrate health and safety into the general management of the organization.