Employee Safety Handbooks
Issue #21
August 27, 2007
Providing written communication to employees about your safety policies makes sense, however we occasionally hear confusion as to the best method for doing so. Some consider their Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) to be the answer, while others feel that their employee handbooks do the job. Another alternative is a handbook devoted specifically to the employer’s safety policies. This issue of risKey will look at each of these in considering which is best for your company.
Injury and Illness Prevention Plan
Injury and Illness Prevention Plans are written to be in compliance with OSHA regulations. They serve as a reference to management in administering their programs, and contain information on a variety of subjects that may not necessarily apply to a specific employee.
As a result, IIPP’s are generally long, detailed documents, often contained in three ring binders. No only would the information be inappropriate, they would also be too bulky to be reproduced as an employee communication piece. It should also be noted that there is no requirement for employers to give the IIPP to their employees.
This is not to diminish the importance of IIPP’s as they serve as the foundation for creating an employers rules and policies. However, by their very nature, IIPP’s are focused on injuries and illnesses to employees. They do not go into details about guests, the use of vehicles, and other issues that are important in a broader view of safety.
Employee Handbooks
An employee handbook tells the employees what they can expect from the company, and what the company expects from them. A handbook answers questions like “What time do I have to be at work?”; Does my employer provide health insurance?”; “How many vacation days am I entitled to?”, and many more.
In addition to relaying basic information about benefits, hours, and pay, an employee handbook imparts the company’s culture, values, and history. This information can help motivate employees to work more effectively and enthusiastically on behalf of the company.
hile we see safety mentioned in one or two paragraphs of some handbooks, it does not go into the depth necessary to convey meaningful information on the subject. An employee handbook can do a lot, but it can’t do everything. It represents just one part of a company’s relationship with its employees.
Employee Safety Handbook
Here we have a handbook that is devoted strictly to safety, not only as it respects your employees, but also other areas of your business such as liability and property. The Employee Safety Handbook is a guide to safety policies and procedures designed to support a safety-conscious work environment. It offers the employer an opportunity to communicate their principles as respects safety and health, along with details as to the workings of the program.
An employee safety handbook can present information on a variety of safety issues. The following is an example of some of the topics that can be addressed:
- Employee Safety Responsibilities
- Employee Safety Rules
- Safety Coordinator Responsibilities
- Safety & Health Committee Responsibilities
- Client Visits
- Reporting Injuries
- Emergency Action Plan
- Emergency Contact Information
- Fire Prevention Plan & Electrical Safety
- Return to Work Program
- Hazard Communication
- Office Safety & Security
- Sexual Harassment Policy
- Considerations Following a Serious Industrial Accident
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Vehicle Use Policy
These are just a few examples of what can be included; however there are many more that go beyond the IIPP and typical employee handbooks. In addition to addressing safety, an employee handbook can also provide support on important issues relating to your disaster recovery program (you do have a written business contingency plan, don’t you?).
Free for the asking . . . . .
Send your request to me at ed@kempkey.com and I will email you a sample employee safety handbook that you can modify as you wish to support your company’s safety efforts.