Adjusting your company’s health and safety policy to meet the new legislation may seem daunting. However, it must remain sound and flexible enough to adapt as your business grows and environment changes, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The health, safety, and well-being of your company, its employees, and clients are paramount. Having detailed policies and procedures specifying your company’s approach to managing the health and safety of your team and customers is crucial.
Therefore, your Health and Safety Policy should be clear and robust, serving as a backbone for your strong safety performance and compliance. It also confirms your dedication to promoting safe working practices, provides valuable direction for managers and team members, and creates a clear path for your entire team to achieve a healthy and safe work environment.
A typical Health and Safety Policy consists of three parts, and each must be reviewed.
Part 1: Health and Safety Policy Statement of Intent: this is the general statement that sets out how your company intends to meet health and safety requirements while effectively managing health and safety issues. It also states your aims and objectives.
Part 2: Organization of Health and Safety: this outlines the responsibilities of employees in fulfilling the overall vision related to health and safety at the workplace.
Part 3: Arrangements for Health and Safety: this states the practical details of how employees who are responsible will accomplish their goals and how risks will be managed.
In addition to creating your workplace health and safety policy, here are tips to keep your workplace safe during COVID-19.
You must ensure:
- Employees are aware of the hazards. By providing information, instruction, and direction, you can best advise them on how to work safely.
- Supervisors are knowledgeable about the requirements of protecting employees’ health and safety while on the job.
- Workplace gatherings abide by the law and the workplace health and safety policies and procedures.
- Employees wear proper protective equipment appropriately.
- All high-touch areas, surfaces, and tools are cleaned with higher frequency.
- Physical distancing is maintained. Thus, it creates greater distance between workers, keeping at least 2 meters from others.
- The reduction of the number of passengers on elevators, and avoid crowding in stairwells, and tight spaces.
- All reasonable precautions are taken to protect employees from being hurt or infected by any work-related illness.
When adjusting your policy, it is vital to note your company’s responsibilities and how you can protect your employees.
It is your duty as an employer to take every practical precaution to protect your team’s health and safety. This includes protecting your employees from the hazards posed by infectious diseases.
Let us help!
Is managing your health and safety policy becoming a demanding task? If you are not confident that you have everything in place, we can help you!