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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY   
This guideline is intended to help organisations formulate their own Health and Safety Policy by describing the essential ingredients.

Purpose of Policy 

The Health and Safety Policy demonstrates the organisation/company’s concern and commitment to ensure health and safety of the employees. It acts as a basis for developing and implementing programmes for securing health and safety at the workplace. Finally, it should affect all work activities and decision making process of the organisation.

There are three main parts of the written policy namely;

  • General Policy Statement
  • Organisation
  • Arrangements
     
1.   General Policy Statement (Statement of Intent)
The first part can be a simple and brief statement of the overall intent of the employer to look after the health and safety of the workforce. Among others it should:
  1. indicate that the management accept responsibility for health and safety of the employees and others who may be affected by the work activities.
  2. Outline the goals of the policy
  3. Establish the importance of health and safety to overall business performance
  4. Bear a reference to other parts of the policy document, and
  5. Be dated and signed by the Chairman or Managing Director, or whoever speaks for the organisation at the highest level.
2.    Organisation
The second part of the policy document should explain the organisation for health and safety responsibilities. This will be mainly about “who is to do what”. Essentially it should spell out:
  1. the list of health and safety responsibilities of all levels of management i.e. from top management down to supervisors, and health and safety personnel (if any).
  2. The role of workers in the implementation of the policy. Each employee has a duty not to endanger himself or others by his actions or omissions, and to cooperate in all measures provided for his health and safety.
  3. The structure and functions of health and safety committee and other in-house health and safety organisations (if any).
3.    Arrangements
The third part of the written policy documents deals with practical systems and procedures. It concerns mainly with potential hazards and methods of dealing with them. Among others, essentially it should specify detailed arrangements for ensuring that the General Policy is being implemented including:
  1. the arrangements for training and instruction
  2. information about whatever hazards there may be in certain processes, the control measures and the ways in which employees should cooperate for their own health and safety;
  3. specify the organisation/company’s safe system of work, including safe work procedures and rules;
  4. scheme for the issuance, use and maintenance of personal protective equipment (P.P.E.);
  5. the procedure for reporting and investigation of accidents; and
  6. emergency measures such as fire and first aid arrangements. .
Employers should:
  • inform all employees of their written health and safety policy.
  • Review and revise the policy, as appropriate, from time to time
  • Inform employees of any revision to the policy
It is important that contents of the policy be made known to employees during induction and job training. The general policy statement should be displayed at strategic locations in the workplace.