Health and Safety Program

What Does Health and Safety Program Mean?

A health and safety program is the action arm (how things actually work) of a plan or policy created by an employer to encourage the maintenance of a safe workplace. The plan may also address environmental and health policies as well. The goal of a health and safety program is to improve overall workplace health and safety within the organization.

A workplace health and safety program serves as part of the physical action called for in the health and safety policy. Each employer creates its own health and safety program as part of the health and safety policy. Thus, the elements included in a program may vary. Laws or regulations may sometimes require that an employer's health and safety program include specific features. These requirements may vary by industry or jurisdiction.

A health and safety program may be called an occupational health and safety program or a safety management system.

WorkplaceTesting Explains Health and Safety Program

Some common elements found in health and safety programs include a policy statement that confirms the employer's commitment to the program and language defining the incentives for employee participation. Most programs also include some structure for reporting health or safety hazards. An anonymous reporting mechanism may be implemented to encourage employees to report health risks or violations of employer safety policies.

An occupational health and safety program may also include provisions to carry out items required to be in compliance with government health and safety regulations such as those promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). Many health and safety programs also define workplace safety training programs and other ongoing educational initiatives.