Health and Safety Program Requirements

What components do you need in your Health and Safety program?
Use the list below to help you identify components that you may need to add to your current program.

1. Health and Safety Policy Statement outlining committment to a written health and safety signed by the most senior person in the organization on an annual basis.

2. Formal worker training with written records (employee orientation, WHMIS, equipment, hazards in your workplace)

3. Workplace inspections and hazard analysis

4. Analysis of the accidents and illnesses occurring at the workplace-understanding everything from near misses to property damage and injury or illness will provide useful information for prevention strategies

5. A health and safety budget

6. A formal means of communication to promptly address the concerns of workers

7. Confined space entry procedure

8. Lock-out Tag out procedure

9. Guarding equipment and machinery

10. Material handling practices and procedures-prevention for strains, sprains

11. Maintenance and repairs

12. Housekeeping

13. Personal protective equipment

14. Emergency procedures

15. First-aid and rescue procedures WSIB Regulation 1101

16. Electrical safety

17. Fire prevention and what to do in case of fire

18. Engineering controls (e.g., ventilation)

19. WHMIS-Material data safety sheets and workplace hazardous information system

20. Harrassment and Violence in the workplace policy procedures and analysis

21. Employees right to know

22. Right to refuse unsafe work

23. Other protocols that are specific to the industry sector and hazards.

The list above is by no means a comprehensive. The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, WSIB Act and Regulations are mandatory for many businesses in Ontario. If you have questions about whether this includes your business we are here to answer your questions. Businesses that have well managed safety programs reduce their risk of fines, lower their injury costs and improve employee morale. As an employer, you are responsible for worker health and safety and must take every reasonable precaution for the protection of your workers. Your safety program must be in writing and you must be able to prove that training has been done by a competent person and that the worker understands.

We are here to help organize, provide you with the tools to help you document, plan and implement your health and safety program.
Interested in finding out more? Call 1 (800) 435-8910