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Health and Safety Program Performance

November 20th, 2008

Health and Safety program performance should be evaluated on a regular basis in your organisation. A good rule of thumb is to do such an evaluation of the Occupational Health and Safety program at least twice a year.

Health and Safety programs need regular evaluations for the following reasons:

• A regular and established assessment program indicate to all the people involved with Health and Safety that what they do is important.

• The evaluation provides immediate feedback with regards to performance and creates an opportunity for the identification of problem areas that needs attention within the Health and Safety system.

• What is measured can be improved. There is always opportunities for improvement within Health and Safety programs.

It might be a good idea to do these assessments at the Health and Safety committee level. This would provide an opportunity for all the role-players to provide input and it would work towards increased buy-in at all levels within the organisation.

I have listed some of the components of successful Health and Safety programs below in question format, but I must tress that you should use them as a basis for your evaluation and that you should provide the opportunity for additional criteria where you feel a need exists within your organisation. You must remember that no two Health and Safety programs are the same.

FACTOR A:
Does the workers and management Health and Safety partnership extends beyond the Health and Safety committee?

Best Practice Guidelines

• The Health and Safety committee members act as safety resources and/or safety representatives for their respective departments or work places

• Supervisors work with these safety representatives in resolving local health and safety issues and both supervisor and health and safety representative contribute to weekly departmental safety meetings for employees.

• Worker member/s of the Health and Safety committee assists the organisation’s Health and Safety officer on a permanent basis.

FACTOR B:
Are the Health and Safety Inspections proactive, up to date and produce positive and identifiable results for the Health and Safety program?

Best Practice Guidelines

• The Health and Safety committee reviews Health and Safety inspection checklists frequently and place special emphasis on factors involved in recent incidents.

• The Inspection check-list identifies positive improvements and initiatives and may be linked to reward system.

• The organisation’s Health and Safety Inspection system encourages and requires incident reporting by asking about and recording incidents.

• The organisation track Health and Safety inspection results in a computer database or program to facilitate regular evaluation of results and to improve effective communication.

FACTOR C:
In larger or multi-plant workplaces, does a Health and Safety Policy Committee exists to deal with policy issues?

Best Practice Guidelines

• A corporate level Health and Safety Policy Committee meeting is held on an annual basis to discuss and confirm organisation-wide Health and Safety policy. Representation from senior management and workers attend these meetings.

FACTOR D:
Does your Health and Safety program use and develop effective assessment tools that are used for regular evaluation of committee performance and identifying areas for improvement?

Best Practice Guidelines

• Develop a Health and Safety committee effectiveness check-list that can be used annually to identify areas for improvement.

• Prepare an annual report of OHS Committee activities and achievements during the year.

FACTOR E:
Is it your organisation’s policy that going beyond Health and Safety legal compliance is an objective of the Health and Safety system?

Best Practice Guidelines

• The organisation believes in moving beyond the minimum requirements of the applicable Health and Safety legislation and sets its own standards for the Health and Safety programme.

• Participation in a voluntary Health and Safety program audit system is encouraged. Good results could lead to rewards.