What is a Safety Plan?
Safety plans are comprehensive tools that detail a framework for safety practices. Each plan is targeted to a specific activity or department – every company probably has dozens of safety plans in their arsenal.
Safety plans serve several purposes - for starters, it gives every affected employee the information they need on how to handle certain situations, whether it’s a fire in the break room, a spill in the hallway, or decorating the office for the holidays.
Something that many companies may overlook is the impact of safety plans on your employees’ perceptions about the company. Having robust plans in place says a lot about your company’s commitment to keeping your workers safe and feeling secure while on the job. Safety planning can make your team more productive and happy in their work.
What Does a Safety Plan Include?
One of the most challenging parts of creating safety plans is the comprehensiveness of each one. You must provide a framework on how to handle a specific incident, being careful not to leave out any key step or detail that could derail your plan’s effectiveness.
While each safety plan will be unique to the situation, here are a few important details you can use to outline your plans:
- Immediate action to take
- Procedures to secure the area
- Important personnel to contact regarding incidents
- Method(s) of communication to alert others about incidents
- Safe handling instructions and application
- Protective gear, such as masks, hard hats, or gloves
- Evacuation routes
- Reporting and data collection procedures
- Training plans
- Waste or equipment disposal
- Media relations (if applicable)
Sources: https://www.ehsinsight.com/blog/what-is-a-safety-plan
