Safety Knights

I'll give you a call

Overall, you need to start with a gap analysis of your written programs - see where you need to be (based on regulatory standards, internal/company standards, etc.), then compare that to where you currently are so that you can see what needs to be improved. Once this is done, you can then take your written programs and incorporate them into your training program(s) for each topic, your audit/inspection criteria (if applicable), etc.

Make sure all of your written programs/policies/procedures/forms/etc. are customized and made site-specific to your facility's operations. If your policy has something in it that's not applicable to your industry and/or operations, then remove it. On the same aspect, some (not all) OSHA standards have specific information that is required to be in a company's written program (e.g., 1910.134 has a lot of information that is required to be in a company's respiratory protection program), so if you don't see that in there, then go back and add it.

It's hard to point you in the right direction because there's so much to cover, but generally, the written programs is my starting point because if you have no written program (or a crappy one), your training is going to be junk, your audits/inspections aren't going to look for the right things, you'll have difficulty enforcing things as far as both training and disciplinary action, etc.

I agree with Drew. Something else to look at as far as gap analysis either ANSI Z.10 or ISO 45001. There's not a whole ton of difference between the two, but I normally suggest Z.10 unless you're already ISO 9001 or 14001 or if you think being certified to ISO 45001 might be important down the road.

These standards give a framework for how the whole organization, not just the safety department, should contribute to the safety management system.

Everyone is spot on above!

My first step was always to ask, "How could we kill someone?" After I made sure and made sure again, I did the things described above after that!

Next, I wanted a real concept of the program I wanted! After a program that management would allow me to do, and if it was not up to mine, which it seldom was, do a lot of convincing, promoting, and selling! In Lean Terms, this is the Future State!

I would then do on Lean Terms a "Current State!" Doing much of what Drew, Brandon, and Tim are talking about gets us from the Current State (B) to Future State (A)!

I would then draw up a plan to get from the Current State to the Future State. In Lean Terms, this is called Value Stream Mapping, which is not described well in Health and Safety terms but is the same concept as in manufacturing. It comes down to, "How you get from B to A!"

Remember you cannot do it alone! I learned that the hard way! It only really works when all are invested, involved, and engaged!