How to Create a Company Safety Program

Developing a Complete Safety Program for Your Organization

Dedicated safety used to be a requirement reserved for large employers with large safety departments. Today, the work landscape is much different and legislation requirements across many countries support safety program development for organizations large and small. Now companies maintain safety programs to ensure workers understand organizational rules and the legislative requirements set for workplace safety.

Doing so has enhanced a preventative culture where safety comes first. And in short, it is working to save lives and reduce workplace injuries. For for those unfortunate enough to be seriously injured on the job site, the company safety program ensures rules are in-place to compensate those who are injured.

Properly Done, Workplace Safety Means:

• Reduced injury-associated costs for companies
• Safety-conscience employees and contractors
• New work contracts with owner clients

Industry Expectations For Safety

Energy, construction, transportation, forestry, mining, agriculture, manufacturing and municipalities – each of these major industries hire contractors that have dedicated safety programs. A type of check-and-balance system has been introduced to determine how these programs are implemented, and the requirements are many-fold.

To start, if a company is to become safety-compliant they must adopt certain workplace procedures. They must store and maintain this procedural information within updated safety manuals. These workplace procedures should be enforced by company management alongside an emphasis to encourage safe work environments, and to improve a company’s safe work history.

The Needs Include:

• Safety Manual creation;
• Training your workers, supervisors , and owners;
• Timely reviews of all completed safety forms and file information.

Workers are required to be trained on hazards they are exposed to in their jobs. Those standards are written into a safety program where the training requirements are understood and referred to on a regular basis.

When you look at the cost-benefits to develop and implement a safety program it becomes obvious that meeting safety and quality standards (and having that adherence documented), is critical in the development of a viable, growing, financially-strong company.

Data and Figures

So how is this emphasis on workplace safety doing as a whole? Do these efforts reduce job site accidents? Is it saving lives? Is it reducing work injury related costs for employers? The data in hand is now several years in the making. Therefore we have clear trends coming from the analysis.

Employer Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2017

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor

Keep Reading and Learn about Compliance Registries and COR/SECOR….

The Emergence of Database Registries

The dedication to safety across industries helps ensure workers return home every day in the same condition they left in. It is an essential part of work life and humane work environment practices. As workplace safety becomes more refined it has introduced new procedures that require documentation, certification and grade-oriented compliance.

Many safety registries such as ISNetworld®, Avetta, Browz, and ComplyWorks have come into existence. These databases grade companies on their organizational compliance with safety needs, and it has created a system that owner clients assess when choosing contractors for work on their projects. It makes sense. As an owner client you want projects to be handled efficiently with the right people hired for the job. You want those independent companies to prove their compliance through a graded system that demonstrates they take safety seriously, and that they have the proper safety training, procedures and documentation for the work at hand.

COR and SECOR

Additionally, there is the COR/SECOR process. This certification involves your safety manual program and requires that all safety documentation is in place, including:

• Maintenance and Inspection Records
• Hazard IDs
• Incident and Statistical Reporting
• Training Records
• Safety Meeting Records

COR is short for Certificate of Recognition

A COR is given to large employers who meet specific standards in their health and safety programs. Obtaining a COR may entitle your company to receive financial compensation (a refund) from the Workers Compensation Board, more commonly known as the WCB. The WCB is a government-created organization with the mandate of providing cost-effective disability and liability insurance. The organization is employer-funded.

SECOR is short for Small Employer Certificate of Recognition

SECOR is for small-sized businesses. Specifically SECOR is a program offered to smaller employers (having 10 or less employees) that allows them to reach Certificate of Recognition requirements, given their limited resources.

The development of a safety manual is the first step that shows you are serious about the health and safety of your workplace. A safety manual and COR/SECOR certification is a standard qualification to work.

The requirements of COR/SECOR, and compliance with registries like ISNetworld®, Avetta, Browz, ComplyWorks and others can affect what needs to be written into your organization’s safety manual, and in-turn, your organizational safety program. The ideal outcome for a compliant safety program demonstrates that your organization’s workers are safer on the job-site via safety awareness, certification, and compliance.

Government Policies

The safety industry has many governmental and private industry policies and regulations that your company should be aware of. These policies are OSHA and OHS approved. You can learn more by reading your:
Provincial occupational health and safety act, code and regulations.
State Plan Safety and Health Standards and Regulations.

About Us

Workforce Compliance Safety Ltd. is an occupational health & safety industry leader. Our safety specialists offer experience and knowledge of Occupational Health & Safety Legislation to develop workplace safety programs throughout Canada and the United States. Learn more.