Is Your Health and Safety Policy up to Date?

January is a great time to review your Health and Safety policy.  A Health and Safety policy needs to be reviewed on annual basis. The start of the New Year is the perfect time to review and update it.

Why bother with a Health and Safety policy?

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• It is a legal requirement if you have 6 or more employees (sec 25(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act).
• It shows your company’s commitment to the Health and Safety of your employees in the workplace.
• It makes good business sense and it shows moral responsibility on your company’s part.
• It becomes the start of a Health and Safety program.

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The policy should be written with the input of the owners, senior management and employees.

Your policy should contain:

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• Your company’s stated promise to Health and Safety in the workplace.
• Your company’s obligation to follow legal requirements.
• Management and employees responsibilities and commitments to work safety.

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It is important to post your policy in your workplace where everyone can see it.

Last but not least, it is important to review your policy annually with all employees, new and tenured, and with outside contractors.  Everyone needs to be fully briefed and cognizant of the rules and procedures to ensure a safe workplace.