Safety & Health Integration

What is a Safety and Health Program and where does it fit into my management system?

If your team wants to reduce accidents, injuries, illnesses, and their related costs, everyone must place as much emphasis on safety and health issues as they place on other core management issues, such as production, sales, and quality control. To be most effective, safety and health must be balanced with, and incorporated into, the other core business processes.

"Safety First" may sound good, but in reality, safety should not be considered separately. Rather, it must become a basic value of your company. Change "Safety First" to "Safe production is our only standard." This emphasizes the idea that it's fine to produce as hard and as fast as possible, as long as it can be done safely.

To get an idea of where safety and health fit into your workplace, answer the questions below.

• Safety and health are an integral part of our operations.

Yes

No

Don't Know

• Teamwork is apparent in all parts of the organization.

Yes

No

Don't Know

• Managers and supervisors are out on the floor frequently and always observe the company safety and health rules.

Yes

No

Don't Know

• Employees are encouraged to identify safety and health hazards and correct them on their own.

Yes

No

Don't Know

• Employees have full and open access to all the tools and equipment they need to do their job safely.

Yes

No

Don't Know

If you were able to answer each question with a YES, you are well on your way to developing a true safety and health culture. If you want to do better, you should work on improving the safety and health culture in your organization.