A safety and health program is not just a binder on a shelf. It is a plan that helps you find and fix hazards before workers get hurt. OSHA research shows that employers who build strong safety programs see fewer injuries, lower costs, better morale, and higher productivity. Here is how to get started:
1 Make safety a top priority.
Tell workers that their safety matters more than speed or output. When leaders talk about safety every day and back their words with action, workers take it seriously too. Set safety goals, write them down, and share them with your team.
2 Lead by example.
Supervisors and managers must follow the same safety rules they expect from workers. If you skip personal protective equipment or ignore a hazard, workers notice. Safe behavior starts at the top.
3 Give workers a voice.
Workers know where the dangers are. Set up a simple way for them to report injuries, near misses, hazards, and safety concerns, including a way to report without fear of punishment. When workers trust that speaking up will not get them in trouble, you learn about problems before someone gets hurt.
4 Walk the workplace and find hazards.
Do regular walkthroughs with workers and look for anything that could cause injury or illness. Use checklists to stay organized. Do not wait for an accident to reveal a problem.
5 Fix hazards before they cause harm.
Once you find a hazard, act on it. Where possible, remove or replace the hazard. When you cannot get rid of it, add controls, such as guards, barriers, procedures, or protective equipment. Ask workers to help choose and test solutions. They often know what will work best.
6 Train workers to recognize and report hazards.
Give workers the knowledge they need to spot danger and respond to it. Training should cover the specific hazards in their jobs, what to do in an emergency, and how to report problems. Refresh training when jobs, equipment, or procedures change.
7 Plan for emergencies before they happen.
Identify the emergencies most likely to occur at your workplace — fires, chemical spills, medical events — and write a simple plan for each one. Practice the plan, post it where workers can see it, and make sure everyone knows their role.
8 Review your program and keep improving it.
A safety program is never finished. Set aside regular time to review what is working and what is not. Track injuries, near misses, and hazard reports to spot patterns. Compare what you find against the goals you set in step one. Then, use what you learn to make the program better.
Need help building a safety and health program? Contact the Occupational Safety and Health Consultation (OSHCON) Program for free, confidential assistance at OSHCON@tdi.texas.gov or 800-252-7031. For more resources, download OSHA's Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs or these DWC publications:
- Building a Safety Culture Fact Sheet (English).
- Safety Plan Development Tool (English/Spanish).
- Safety Training Program Development (English).