Safety Management Services
Safety management involves managing a business’s activities, applying frameworks, principles, and processes to minimize risks and prevent accidents and injuries. A safety management system (SMS) incorporates a systematic approach to managing safety, including organizational policies and procedures, accountabilities, and structures.
Like all other management systems, and SMS allows for planning, goal setting, and performance management. This system is infused into the daily processes of an organization so that it becomes the way people carry out their duties, and it weaves into the fabric of the organization.
In the corporate world, there are three key reasons for adopting an SMS for a business. These are financial, legal, and ethical. Solid evidence shows that effective and efficient safety management can reduce a company’s financial liabilities by reducing accidents.
There are laws in every jurisdiction that cover the necessity of this system. Every employer has the moral obligation to ensure that their workplaces and work activities are safe for everyone. Click here to learn more about employer ethical responsibilities.
There are several requirements that an SMS must fulfill before it can be tagged as effective. It should:
- Define the way a company is set up to manage different kinds of risks;
- Execute effective communication across every level of the company;
- Identify all the risks in the workplace and implement the appropriate controls;
- Execute a process of continual improvement;
- Identify and correct non-compliance and non-conformity issues.
Components of SMS
The following are key components of a successful SMS:
Policy
The company should establish a safety policy that will help guide the organization in the best direction to ensure each member is always safe. They should contribute to every aspect of the organization and provide cost-effective ways to develop human resources while efficiently preserving other physical resources.
A carefully thought-out policy cuts financial losses and reduces a company’s liabilities. Overall, these policies should benefit every stakeholder, from shareholders to employees and even customers.
Planning and Implementation
Upon creating a safety policy, the company should work to formulate a plan that will enable the implementation of the policy. This plan may include safety objectives for employees, managers, and executives.
For the plan to be effectively implemented, the company should develop the mechanisms for execution. Staff should be empowered and motivated to carry out their duties safely to avoid accidents and protect long-term health. The processes should be systematic and structured with detailed protocols to follow that cover every risk present in the workplace.
Using risk assessments, the company should set objectives and determine priorities whenever there are any hazards. Many risks can be eliminated by choosing the safest facility designs, processes, and equipment.
Those that cannot be eliminated should be minimized through work-safe systems and physical controls. Visit https://www.opensourcedworkplace.com/news/workplace-physical-security-controls to learn more about workplace physical controls.
Performance Measurement
Once the policy and plans have been implemented, the organization must monitor, evaluate, and measure safety performance. This measurement can be done against set standards to make improvements when necessary.
Check List for Initial Safety Management System Review
As with many other things, regular reviews must be carried out to determine the system’s efficiency. That said, this checklist should be used for the initial review of a newly created SMS.
- Can the system be read and understood by all those concerned?
- Are the safety policy and the implementation adequate? For example, are responsibilities clearly stated?
- Are there written procedures for all the necessary safety processes, and are they readily available, for example, procedures for routine processes, preventive maintenance, handling and usage of chemicals, ill-health investigation, accident investigations, equipment and plant maintenance, and emergency planning?
- Are there regular Risk Assessments carried out as risks change, and are there necessary improvements to keep the system fully functional and working effectively?
- Is there safety training carried out to educate workers and employees on the risks they are exposed to?
- Are workers assessed to confirm the impact and how well they understand the training?
- Is there cooperation between employees, managers, and employers on workplace safety?
Why You Need an SMS
Aside from your employer’s responsibility to keep your workers and the workplace safe, you stand to save a lot more money by investing in safety management services. Studies have revealed that a $1 investment in injury can help employers save $2 and $6.
While this may appear to be insignificant, it amounts to significant sums when added up. In 2014, the security facts report from the National Safety Council showed that the total cost for occupational deaths and injuries in 2012 was over $198 billion. The cost of different injuries varies significantly; however, on average, per medically consulted injury, an employer spends up to $39,000, while for deaths, a staggering $1.4 million is spent.
Safety Management Services: Conclusion
The statistics speak for themselves, and by adopting an SMS, employers do not only earn workers’ trust by keeping them safe, but they also get to cut spending on medical fees in the long run. For an SMS to be effective, it should be created with the involvement of every stakeholder in the organization.
