HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY A typical Health and Safety Policy that could be adapted to the needs of your organisation is given below. Of course, tailor making the policy is important. Safety, health and welfare for the employees and the community at large, has highest priority and commits itself to : maintaining a healthy and safe work environment, as is reasonably practicable, for all employees at all times. ensuring that no job is carried out by ignoring or compromising on safety aspects. ensuring that so far as reasonably practicable, all processes are properly supervised and are safe from risks to health. ensuring that design, construction and maintenance of all plant, equipment and facilities are such as to ensure that adequate precautions are taken to protect the plant, machinery and environment and personnel from injuries and risk to health, as is reasonably practicable. providing adequate training to all employees for the work they are required to do by informing them of any hazards to health and safety which may be inherent in the plant or materials required to be handled. recognising that it is the responsibility of the management for the safety of visitors. The management will ensure, so far as is practicable, that whilst on company premises, visitors and or other non employees are not exposed to health and safety hazards and give to such persons any information about the organisations activities which may be necessary to ensure this. The management would take necessary steps to disallow visitors on the shop floor or in other areas of factory premises where they may be exposed to risks to health and safety without being accompanied by an appropriately qualified employee of the company. making all efforts to ensure conscientious observance of all National, State and other statutory requirement for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment and pollution free premises. Although, the management understands that the Government legislation and generally accepted codes of practice that establish minimum standards for safety, health and environment, the management would maintain and improve upon standards, wherever possible, by a combination of professional, technical and medical advice available to the company.
ORGANISATIONAL SET UP Successful implementation of this policy requires the whole hearted co-operation of all employees and acceptance by each individual of the responsibility to take reasonable care for his health and safety and of any other persons who may be affected at work.   I. THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR : reviewing the company policy at regular intervals allocating the health and safety responsibilities of managers under their control and allocating resources for the health and safety measures II. THE SENIOR EXECUTIVES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR : implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of the company safety and health policy keep board members informed of statutory requirements providing advisory service on health and safety matters III. DEPARTMENT MANAGERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR : providing safe system of work and procedures for implementing the health and safety policy in areas of their responsibility. Every manager in the company will accept personal responsibility for implementation of the policy providing such information and training as is required to ensure the health and safety of people under their control and others who may be affected by work ascertaining details of required standards contained in statutory regulations and approved codes of practice and applying such standards both in design and operation. organising departmental supervision to maintain the work environment in a safe condition and identifying unsafe acts to incorporate preventive measures ensuring the safety of visitors in their department/section identifying all actual or potential hazards and introducing proper safety measures to avoid mishaps ensuring that safe equipment and tools are used by employees and providing written job instructions, warning notices as necessary ensuring that safety surveys of their department, all equipment and tools are conducted on a regular basis. Ensuring that all manufacturing machinery tools and facilities are examined to establish that all hazards are recognized and removed, wherever possible. ensuring that protective clothing including face shields, safety goggles, gloves etc., are issued and worn wherever required holding regularly plant safety committee meetings. Investigating reports and records of any accident or "near miss" incidents occurring within their departments with the assistance of plant safety committee members IV. ALL SUPERVISORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR : incorporating the procedure laid down by their managers to maintain safe work environment ensuring that their operators and staff are adequately trained and fully aware of the hazards within the work area investigating accidents and "near miss" incidents in their section with the object of establishing the cause and preventing their recurrence working safely and efficiently using personal protective equipment provided and meeting statutory obligations reporting incidents that have led or may lead to injury or damage reporting unsafe conditions or unsafe acts in their work areas to prevent accidents complying with company safety policy and codes of practice and procedures for maintaining a safe work environment assisting in the investigation of accidents with the object of introducing preventive measures for avoiding a recurrence VI. MANAGERS AND OFFICERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR : QC laboratory, mechanical, electrical, civil, auxiliary services, engineering, instruments, packing and security departments. Workshops and stores have the responsibility for health and safety of the employees working under their control and are accountable for safety performance of their respective departments. Supervisors of departments are responsible for safe supervision. managers, officers and supervisors of non technical departments are responsible for the health and safety of the employees working under them and are accountable for safety performance in their departments. VII. PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS : will provide necessary medical facilities for the health and well being of the employees personnel manager will ensure that medical examination of all employees is carried out in accordance with statutory requirements and proper individual records are maintained.   VIII. SAFETY DEPARTMENT will co-ordinate all safety activities and guide plant managers and personnel in the matter of safety and accident prevention safety officer will maintain contact with officials of professional bodies and other safety professionals to maintain updated codes of practice, new safety literature, recent developments in the field of accident prevention, personal protective equipment, first aid equipment and procedures etc. and circulate information applicable to each level of employee and guide everyone connected with basic safety programme. IX. POLLUTION CONTROL DEPARTMENT will make all efforts to implement and update constantly all control measures to ensure a safe environment in compliance with the relevant statutory requirements X. CONTRACTORS Third party including contractor, sub-contractor and other cargo operators working at the premises will be made aware of Company Safety Policy and all relevant "Permit to Work" systems that may be in force. It will be obligatory on their part to comply with the same. During the currency of the contract, the line managers will ensure, as far as possible the method of working, usage of plant and equipment, lighting, fire and any other known hazards, allocation of responsibilities with contracors/sub-contractors and others and provide facilities for welfare and sanitation. All contractors must provide adequate supervision over their workers at all time. XI. TRANSPORTATION Transporters sending their vehicles to supply or collect materials must ensure that the vehicles are in good roadworthy condition. Drivers are adequately trained Proper license and all statutory requirements under Motor Vehicles Act are fulfilled. Relevant hazard information panel is displayed on the body of the vehicle carrying hazardous chemical and carry with them other relevant information sheets such as Tremcards, etc. The Company Security Officer will have full control on the movement of vehicles.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION To achieve the objectives of the Safety Policy, the following arrangements will be made. I. SAFETY COMMITTEES comprising CENTRAL SAFETY COMMITTEE & PLANT SAFETY COMMITTEES AT THE FACTORY LEVEL would be constituted. PLANT SAFETY COMMITTEES : Workers, Supervisors and Plant - Incharge of both Production and Maintenance sections will be the members of the Plant Safety Committees, with Plant Manager as the Chairman. This Committee will discuss the health and safety performance and problems of various sections and suggest and/or take measures to improve the working conditions in the plant. Some of the members of the Plant Safety Committee will also represent the Central Safety Committee. The Plant Safety Committee will also disseminate information on safety and health to workers and seek active cooperation from them. CENTRAL SAFETY COMMITTEES : The Chairman of the committee will be the General Manager. Members of the committee will be representatives from the Management and work force. Members of the production and maintenance sections of all the plants will be represented. Production Manager, Chief Engineer, Personnel Manager, Medical Officer and Security Officer will also be members of this committee. Safety Officer act as the Secretary of this committee. Suggestions by employees to improve standards of health and safety will be welcomed by the Central as well as the Plant Safety Committees. The Safety Committees, on behalf of the management, regard the promotion of health and safety measures as mutual objectives for management and employees at all levels. II. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS: A thorough and meaningful investigation of all significant accidents , dangerous occurrences and near misses is a clear responsibility of the Management and a concern of all employees. The Management ensures that the factual reports on all accidents causing damage to persons or property, as jointly prepared by the Management and employee representatives and the corrective action to prevent reoccurrence is submitted through the Safety Committee for necessary action and statistics published accordingly. III. TRAINING Safety Department or where not present, the management will arrange inplant safety training for workers, supervisors, senior staff and management personnel at regular intervals. Moreover, personnel from all levels will be regularly deputed for training programmes, seminars, workshops on safety and health conducted by professional organisations. The training will include normal and emergency operations.   IV. SAFETY INSPECTIONS Regular inspections will be made at all levels to ensure safe and healthy working environment and to demonstrate a personal commitment to safety- these inspections would be carried out regularly and records kept. V. SAFETY AUDIT Safety, Health and Environmental Audit would be carried out by inhouse and external teams at regular intervals   VI. MAINTENANCE Personnel of maintenance department would regularly and systematically inspect the plant, adhering to a set preventative schedule. During routine servicing, they would attend to any abnormality VII. DESIGN OF NEW INSTALLATION All new plants, equipment, processes and layout modifications would be considered from a risk potential such as injury and damage to obviate the subsequent need for additional safety protection and ensure integrity of the existing plant. Risk Analysis and HAZOP study would be conducted where necessary. VIII. WORK PERMIT SYSTEM Work Permit system would be enforced in the organisation for carrying out work as required by the statutory organisations or else as per the managements commitment to ensure safe working environment such that work involved in any operation will not prejudice the safety of the workers. IX. PURCHASE It will be the responsibility of personnel ordering equipment/materials/substances etc. to obtain beforehand specifications from the manufacturers or suppliers in order to determine whether there is likelihood of any danger to health and safety in their employment and use. X. PRAISE AND PENALTY Employees safety performance will reflect on their career advancement in the organisation. All employees , regardless of status, found to be deliberately and consistently negligent in the performance of the Company's policy on HSE and welfare may be subject to disciplinary action. XI. HAZARD COMMUNICATION Transporters of hazardous materials and other non company people connected with the functioning may be informed of the hazardous nature of the materials handled with specific reference to the preventative actions to be taken during emergency. This also applies to Vulnerable zone population. XII. HEALTH AND SAFETY PERFORMANCE A resume of the safety and health performance of the company should be included in the Annual Report and prominently displayed in the Factory. XIII. PUBLICITY OF THE SAFETY POLICY The policy should be made available as far as possible to all employees and staff in the local language- it should be understood by the employees and non employees connected with the operations (e.g. Contract Staff) The policy should be published in the safety bulletin of the company for wider circulation. The policy should generally be revised from time to time , and in particular, whenever there is any significant change in the Unit (e.g. new process or systems, modification, expansion etc.) having bearing on safety and health of persons.