A corporate safety policy documents an establishment’s philosophy or rules towards safety and health. It offers a company’s overall view of and commitment to safety and health, as well as the tenets of the establishment’s safety and health program. In fact, these policies may be part of a larger corporate safety and health program.
A well-thought-out corporate safety policy provides the anchor to which members of the establishment can turn when they have a question, and it forms the basic ground rules upon which all employees (and management) must act in their daily work. Such a policy prevents confusion or uncertainty as to what their workplace priorities and safety roles should be, by making it clear that safe workplace behavior is a priority, and unsafe behaviors may warrant disciplinary action.
Corporate safety policies are not restricted to the corporate world. While the term “corporate safety policy” brings the private sector to mind, the same concepts may also be brought to the public sector. These safety policies may easily be applied to any work establishment.
Note: Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that every working man and woman must be provided with a safe and healthful workplace. The section, more commonly known as the General Duty Clause, specifically states: “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”
In simple terms, this statement means that each employer may be obligated to protect its employees from serious, recognized hazards in the workplace even if there is not an OSHA standard which applies to the situation or if hazards still exist after compliance with applicable standards. In effect, the General Duty Clause obligates employers to take additional steps toward safety if the well-being of employees is in jeopardy. In many cases, developing and implementing written safety policies (even if not required specifically by the regulations) is one of the added steps taken to protect employees.
While federal OSHA does not “require” employers to put in place a corporate safety policy, any safety effort benefits from having one. A good internal corporate safety policy usually conveys one or more of the following overall messages: