6
Safety and Health
Management
6.1 SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT
Management of safety and health is accomplished through a strong leadership that
provides the resources, motivation, priorities, and accountability for ensuring the
safety and health of the workforce. This leadership involves setting up systems to
ensure continuous improvement and maintaining a health and safety focus while
attending to production concerns. Enlightened managers understand the value in
creating and fostering a strong safety culture within their organization. Safety should
be a priority so that it is a value of the organization as opposed to a mundane duty.
Integrating safety and health concerns into the everyday management of the organ-
ization, just like production, quality control, and marketing allows for a proactive
approach to accident prevention and demonstrates the importance of working safety
in the entire organization.
You can increase worker protection, cut business costs, enhance productivity, and
improve employee morale. Worksites participating in OSHA’s voluntary protection
programs (VPP) have reported OSHA-verified lost workday cases at rates 60%–80%
lower than their industry averages. For every $1 saved on medical or insurance
compensation costs (direct costs), an additional $5–$50 are saved on indirect costs,
such as repair to equipment or materials, retraining new workers, or production delays.
The safety and health program needs to be professionally managed. (Courtesy of U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.)
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
During 3 years in the VPP, a Ford plant noted a 13% increase in productivity, and a
16% decrease in scrapped product that had to be reworked. Bottom line, safet y does
pay off. Losses prevented go straight to the bottom line profit of an organization. With
today’s competitive markets and narrow profit margins, loss control should be every
manager’s concern. Management actions include the following:
.
Establishing a safety and health policy

accomplished. If employees see the emphasis that the top management puts on safety
and health, they are more likely to emphasize it in their own activities. Besides
following set safety rules themselves, managers can also participate in plant-wide
safety and health inspections, person ally stopping activities or conditions that are
hazardous until the hazards can be corrected, assigning specific responsibilities, par-
ticipating in or helping to provide training, and tracking safety and health performance.
6.1.4 ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY
Everyone in the workplace should have some responsibility for safety and health.
Clear assignment helps avoid overlaps or gaps in accomplishing activities.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Safety and healt h is not the sole respon sibility of the safety and healt h profes sional.
Rather, it is everyon e’ s respon sibili ty, while the safet y and health profession al is
a resour ce.
6.1.5 P ROVISION OF AUTHORITY
Any realisti c assi gnmen t of respon sibility must be accom panied by the needed
authority and by having adequat e resources. This incl udes appropr iately trained
and equipp ed person nel as well as suf ficient operat ional and capita l fundi ng.
6.1.6 A CCOUNTABILITY
Accountabi lity is cruci al to helping manag ers, superv isors, and empl oyees under-
stand that they are respon sibl e for their own perfor mance . Rewar d progre ss and
punish when appropr iate. Supervi sors are motivated to do their best when manag e-
ment meas ures thei r performanc e, ‘‘ what gets measured is what gets done. ’’
Take care to ensure that measures accurat ely depict acco mplishment s and d o not
encoura ge negative be haviors such as not report ing accide nts or near misses.
Accountabi lity can be estab lished in safet y throu gh a variety of met hods:
.
Charge backs — Charge accide nt costs bac k to the depart ment or job, or
prorate insurance prem iums.
.
Safety goals — Set safet y goals for manag ement and superv ision (e.g.,

profession al and a viable safety and he alth progra m? Well , wonde r no more .
In resear ch conduct ed by the Lincol n Nebr aska Safety Coun cil in 1981, the
following conclu sions wer e based on a compariso n of respon ses from a survey of
143 nationa l co mpanies. All conclu sions have a 9 5% con fidence level or more .
Table 6.1 is an abstr action of results from that study.
It seem s apparen t from the previ ous resear ch that in order to have an effective
safety progra m, at a min imum, an empl oyer must
.
Have a demon strated commitment to job safet y and health
.
Comm it budgetary resour ces
.
Train new person nel
.
Insure that superv isors are trained
.
Have a written safety and healt h progra m
.
Hold superv isors accountable for safet y and hea lth
.
Respond to safet y co mplaints and investig ate accide nts
.
Conduct safety audits
Other re finemen ts can always be part of the safety and hea lth progra m, whi ch will
help in reducing those workplace injuries and illnesses. They are as follows: more
worker involvement (e.g., joint labor=management committees), incentive or recog-
nition programs, getting outside help from a consultant or safety association, and
setting safety and health goals.
FIGURE 6.1 Monitoring and evaluation are keys to assuring effectiveness. (Courtesy of U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.)

106% more accidents
7 Those using canned programs are not self-generated 43% more accidents
8 No written safety program 130% more accidents
9 No employee safety committees 74% more accidents
10 No membership in professional safety organizations 64% more accidents
11 No established system to recognize safety accomplishments 81% more accidents
12 Did not document=review accident reports and reviewers did not have
safety as part of their job responsibility
122% more accidents
13 Did not hold supervisor accountable for safety through merit salary
reviews
39% more accidents
14 Top management did not actively promote safety awareness 470% more accidents
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
These three factors are reason enough to have a health and safety program. It is
also importan t that these programs be formalized in writing, since a written program
sets the foundation and provides a consistent approach to occupational health and
safety for the company. There are other logical reasons for a written safety and health
program. Some of them are as follows:
.
It provides standard directions, policies, and procedures for all company
personnel.
.
It states specifics regarding safety and health and clarifies misconceptions.
.
It delineates the goals and objectives regarding workplace safety and health.
.
It forces the company to actually define its view of safety and health.
.
It sets out in black and white the rules and procedures for safety and health

ees are aware of these rules.
The basic premise of this chapter is that all employers should establish a
workplace safety and health program to assist them in compliance with OSHA
standards and the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA
CT) of 1970 (Section 5(a)(1)). Each employer should set up a safety and
health program to manage workplace safety and health to reduce injuries, illnesses,
and fatalities by a systemat ic approach to safety and health. The program should be
appropriate to conditions in the workplace, such as the hazards to which employees
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
are exposed and the number of employees there. The primary guideline for employ-
ers to develop an organized safety and health program are as follows:
.
Employers are advised and encouraged to institute and maintain in their
establishments a program, which provides systematic policies, procedures,
and practices that are adequate to recognize and protect their employees
from occupational safety and health hazards.
.
Effective program includes provisions for the systematic identification, evalu-
ation, and prevention or control of general workplace hazards, specificjob
hazards, and potential hazards that may arise from foreseeable conditions.
.
Although compliance with the law, including specific OSHA standards, is
an important objective, an effective program looks beyond specific require-
ments of law to address all hazards . This effectively will seek to prevent
injuries and illnesses, whether or not compliance is at issue.
.
Extent to which the program is described in writing is less importan t than
how effective it is in practice. As the size of a worksite or the complexity of
a hazardous operation increases, however, the need for written guidance

know what performance is expected of them. Adequate authority and resources must
be provided to responsible parties, so that assigned responsibilities can be met.
Managers, supervisors, and employees must be held accountable for meeting their
responsibilities, so that essential tasks will be performed. Ensure that managers
understand their safety and health responsibilities, as described previously, so that
the managers will effectively carry out those responsibilities .
Review program operations at least annually to evaluate their success in meeting
the goals and objectives, so that deficiencies can be identified and the program
and=or the objectives can be revised when they do not meet the goal of effective
safety and health protection.
Management commitment and leadership provides a policy statement that should
be signed by the top person in your company. Safety and health goals and objectives
are also included to assist you with establishing workplace goals and objectives that
demonstrate your company’s commitment to safety. An enforcement policy is
provided to outline disciplinary procedures for violations of your company’s safety
and health program. This enforcement policy should be communicated to everyone
at the company.
Establish the program responsibilities of manag ers, supervisors, and employees
for safety and health in the workplace and hold them accountable for carrying out
those responsibilities; provide managers, supervisors, and empl oyees with the
authority, access to relevant information, training, and resources they need to carry
out their safety and health responsibilities; and identify at least one manager,
supervisor, or employee to receive and respond to reports about workplace safety
and health conditions and, where appropriate, to initiate corrective action.
The safety and health program should contain the following to demonstrate
management commitment and leadership:
.
Policy statement: goals established, issued, and communicated to employees
.
Program revised annually

The employer must not discourage employees from making reports and
recommendations about fatalities, injuries, illnesses, incidents, or hazards in the
workplace, or from otherwise participating in the workplace safety and health
program.
6.4.2 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT
The employer must systematically identify and assess hazards to which employees
are exposed and assess compliance with the General Duty Clause and OSHA
standards. The employer must conduct inspections of the workplace; review safety
and health information; evaluate new equipment, materials, and processes for
hazards before they are introduced into the workplace; and assess the severity of
identified hazards and rank those hazards that cannot be corrected immediately
according to their severity.
Identification of hazards includes those items that can assist you with identifying
workplace hazards and determining what corrective action is necessary to control
them. These items include jobsite safety inspections, accident investigations, safety
and health committees, and project safety meetings. To accomplish the identification
of hazards, the following items should be addressed:
.
Periodic site safety inspection progra m involves supervisors
.
Preventative controls in place [personal protective equipment (PPE), main-
tenance, engineering controls]
.
Action taken to address hazards
.
Safety committee, where appropriate
.
Technical references available
.
Enforcement procedures implemented by management

to be provided, wi thout fear of reprisal, to notify management personnel about
conditions that appear hazardous and to receive timely and appropriate respon ses;
and encourage employees to use the system.
All accidents and near miss incidents should be investigated, so that their causes
and means for their prevention are identified. Analysis of injury and illness trends
over time should be undertaken, so that patterns with common causes can be
identified and prevented.
6.4.3 HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL
The requirements of the General Duty Clause and OSHA standards are to be met. If
immediate compliance is not possible, the employer must devise a plan for prompt
compliance, which includes setting priorities and deadlines and tracking progress in
controlling hazards. Note: Any hazard identified by the employer’ s hazard identifi-
cation and assessment process that is covered by an OSHA standard or the General
Duty Clause must be contr olled as required by that standard or that clause, as
appropriate. Control means to reduce exposure to hazards in accordance with the
General Duty Clause or OSHA standards, including providing appropriate supple-
mental and=or interim protection, as necessary, to exposed employees. Prevention
and elimination are the best forms of control.
Hazard prevention and controls are triggered by a determination that a hazard or
potential hazard exists. Where feasible, hazards are prevented by effective design of
the jobsite or job. Where it is not feasible to eliminate them, they are controlled to
prevent unsafe and unhealthful exposure. Elimination or controls should be done in a
timely manner, once a hazard or potential hazard is identified.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Procedur es are to be established for the purpose, using the foll owing measures,
so that all curren t and potent ial hazards , h owever detected, are correct ed or con-
trolled in a tim ely manne r:
.
Engineer ing techni ques wher e feasible a nd appropr iate
.

training in the following subjects:
.
Nature of the hazards to which the employee is exposed and how to
recognize them
.
What is being done to control these hazards
.
What protective measures the employee must follow to prevent or minimize
exposure to these hazards
.
Provisions of appli cable stand ards (Figur e 6.2)
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
The employer must provide initial information and training as follows:
.
For new employees, before initial assignment to a job involving exposure to
a hazard.
.
Employer is not required to provide initial information and training for
which the employer can demonstrate that the employee has already been
adequately trained.
.
Employer must provide periodic information and training as often as
necessary to ensure that employees are adequately informed and trained,
and when safety and health information or a change in workplace condi-
tions indicates that a new or increased hazard exists.
Safety and health training addresses the safety and health responsibilities of all
personnel concerned with the site, whether salaried or hourly. It is often most
effective when incorporated into other training about performance requirements
and job practices. Its complexity depends on the size and complexity of the worksite,
and the nature of the hazards and potential hazards at the site.

least one contract employer. Host employer means an employer who controls
conditions at a multiemployer worksite. The host employer’s responsibilities are to
.
Provide information about hazards, controls, safety and health rules, and
emergency procedures to all employers at the workplace.
.
Ensure that safety and health responsibilities are assigned as appropriate to
other employers at the workplace.
The responsibilities of a contract employer are to
.
Ensure that the host employer is aware of the hazards associated with the
contract employer’s work and what the contract employer is doing to
address them.
.
Advise the host employer of any previously unidentified hazards that the
contract employer identifies at the workplace.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Contract employer is an employer who performs work for a host employer at the
host employer’s workplace. A contract employer does not include an employer who
provides incidental services that do not influence the workplace safety and health
program, whose employees are only incidentally exposed to hazards at the host
employer’s wor kplace (e.g., food and drink services, delivery services, or other
supply services).
6.5 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
AND HEALTH PROGRAM
A review of research on successful safety and health programs reveals a number of
factors, which comprise these programs. Strong management commitment to health
and safety and frequent, close contacts between workers, supervisors, and manage-
ment on health and safet y are the two most dominant factors in good health and
safety programs. Other relevant factors include workforce stability, stringent house-

health. The outcomes to effectively manag e a company’s safety and health initiative
results in many positives, which incl ude less carnage and suffering, but also a better
bottom line because of reduced accidents, better productivity, better morale, and a
decrease in the cost of doing business.
A listing of the components that comprise a succes sful health and safety program
are as follows:
.
Health and safety program management
.
Inspections and job observations
.
Illness and injury investigations
.
Task analysis
.
Training
.
Personal protection
.
Communication=promotion of health and safety
.
Personal perception
.
Off-the-job health and safety
This is only a representative list that could be either expanded or consolidated
depending upon the unique needs of your company. Health and safety programs
should be tailored to meet individual requirements. A sample written safety and
health program can be found in Industrial Safety and Health for Infrastructure
Services.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.