Workplace safety policy template

1. Purpose

[Company Name] aims to prevent injury and ill health among everyone who works at or visits its premises. This policy sets out our safety rules, the systems we use to manage risk, and the duties of management, supervisors and employees.

2. Scope

It covers all offices, plants, warehouses, stores, project and client sites and company vehicles, and applies to employees, trainees, contract workers and visitors. Contractors working on our premises must follow this policy and our permit-to-work system in addition to their own safety rules.

3. Definitions

• Hazard: anything with the potential to cause harm, such as moving machinery, electricity, chemicals, heights, vehicles or poor lighting.
• Incident: an event that causes injury, ill health or damage.
• Near miss: an event that could have caused injury or damage but did not.
• Permit to work: written authorisation for high-risk tasks, stating the precautions to be taken.

4. Policy

• Each site keeps a hazard and risk register, reviewed every [6] months and whenever a process, machine or layout changes.
• The Company provides the protective equipment each job needs, free of charge, and replaces it when it is damaged or worn.
• Every employee receives a safety induction before starting work, and job-specific training before operating machines, forklifts or electrical equipment.
• Hot work, work at height, confined space entry and electrical isolation need a written permit from [Designation].
• Extinguishers, alarms and emergency lights are checked every [month]. Exits are never locked or blocked during working hours, and each site holds a fire drill every [6] months.
• Each shift has a trained first-aider and a stocked first-aid box, and emergency numbers are displayed at every entrance.
• Employees who drive for work wear seat belts or helmets, do not use a phone while driving, and complete the vehicle checklist before each trip.
• Any employee may stop a task they reasonably believe is unsafe and report it, without penalty.

5. Procedure for incidents and near misses

• Give first aid or arrange medical care first, then make the area safe and preserve the scene where possible.
• Report every injury, dangerous occurrence and near miss to the supervisor at once, and on the incident form within [24] hours.
• The safety officer investigates, identifies root causes and assigns corrective actions with owners and deadlines.
• [Designation] reports accidents to the authorities where the OSH Code or state rules require it, within the prescribed time.
• The safety committee of [Number] management and worker members meets every [month] to review incidents, inspections and open actions.

6. Responsibilities

• Managing director: provide resources, sign this policy and review safety performance every quarter.
• Safety officer: run risk assessments, permits, training, inspections and investigations.
• Supervisors: allow only trained people to do each task, check protective equipment at the start of the shift and stop unsafe work.
• Employees and contractors: follow rules, use protective equipment, report hazards and never interfere with safety devices.

7. Exceptions

No production target, customer deadline or cost saving justifies bypassing a safety rule. A one-off change to a safety procedure needs a written risk assessment approved in advance by the safety officer.

8. Review

The safety officer reviews this policy every [12] months, after any serious incident and whenever the safety rules that apply to the establishment change. The managing director signs each revised version.