2.2 Key Components of a Health and Safety Policy

The role of the policy

A written OHS policy helps define and promote an effective OHS programme. It should tell people that the employer is committed to a healthy and safe workforce. Workplaces need a policy for several reasons:

• to state management's commitment to a safe and healthy work environment
• to show employees that safety performance and business performance can go together
• to set out the company's safety beliefs, principles, objectives, strategies and processes, and so build buy-in at every level
• to describe clearly the accountability and responsibility of employer and employees for workplace health and safety
• to comply with the OHS legislation that applies
• to set out the safe work practices and procedures to follow in order to prevent injury and illness
• to protect employees and the business from potential liability

Typical content

An OHS policy is the intention and direction of an organisation, formally expressed by its top management. At minimum it should include the following key principles and objectives:

• senior management's commitment to a healthy and safe workplace, and to building health and safety into all workplace activities
• the intention to treat basic safety and health legislation as a minimum standard and not a maximum
• accountability of every level of management for carrying out health and safety responsibilities
• the importance of consultation and cooperation between management and employees for the policy to work
• a commitment to review the policy regularly and monitor how effective it is
• a commitment to provide adequate funds, with details of how the money will be made available

In Great Britain, employers must have a health and safety policy; those with five or more employees must record it in writing. HSE guidance describes three parts. Other countries, including Northern Ireland, have their own legislation.

1. Statement of intent. Shows management's commitment to health and safety and sets out the OHS aims and objectives.
2. Organisation. Identifies OHS roles, responsibilities and reporting lines within the company. This involves the "four Cs": competence, control, cooperation and communication.
3. Arrangements. Sets out in detail the systems and procedures for carrying out the policy, for example safe systems of work.

Proportionate to the needs of the organisation

The best policies are specific to a workplace and reflect the nature, scale and OHS hazards and risks of that workplace. The ILO guidelines (ILO-OSH 2001) give extra guidance. An OSH policy should be:

• specific to the organisation and suited to its size and the nature of its activities
• concise, clearly written, dated, and made effective by the signature or endorsement of the employer or the most senior accountable person
• communicated to, and easily accessible by, everyone at their place of work
• reviewed to confirm it remains suitable
• made available to relevant external interested parties, as appropriate

Summary notes for Element 2 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.