Occupational Health and Safety Policy

The liberalization of trade and commerce has accelerated growth of various industries but it has also increased the occupational related accidents. According to an estimate 1.2 million workers are killed world over due to occupational related accidents and 250 million workers are injured in work related accidents. These enormous accidents are not only loss of workers but it is amounts to 4% loss of economic growth. Occupational Health and Safety Act requires the employer to provide and maintain reasonable and practical a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of employees. This means that the employer must have a clear safety policy to ensure that the workplace is free of hazardous issues. And where this is not possible, the employer has to inform the employees of the risks and dangers, and how these may be prevented.

At surface; policy seems a simple written statement that few people read and try to understand. However before a policy is written, it is imperative for the leader of an organization to have clear understanding of its business and its hazards. The leader of an organization needs to decide where he desires to see his organization, and how he wants the company to run. For example, the leader has to have clear understanding of his industry rules and regulation; and how the employee can adhere to these rules. Workers need clear guidance and direction at workplace that can be set through setting effective policy by the leaders. For example, when an employee is hired in a company, there are clear mentioned working hours and net amount to be paid. And a specific task has to be performed within every day. These are guidelines are written down in all employment offers. If these statements are not mentioned in the contract; it would be almost impossible for workers to perform effectively.

Looking at the huge losses that industries suffer every year; it is crucial that organizations have clear policy statement followed by clear guidelines that should contain elements of responsibility and accountability, competence including training and proper documentation. The mentioned steps cannot be achieved in one step but can be completed through various phases that consist of initial review, planning and implementation of the policy to achieve the object of hazard and accident prevention. The initial review indicates direction of the organization thus creating a baseline for policy. The evaluation stage contains certain elements such as performance monitoring and measurement, investigation of accidents, injuries, audit and final step is management review. If understood correctly, all these steps are tools for business leader to achieve a safe and hazard free environment.

The policy may look like a generic statement but it tells about a company and its leader and how they are running the business. It often happens that leaders come up with imaginative policy that looks grand in words but lack practically or sometimes policy remains just a verbal statement with no one following it. Any statement which is issued by the leader of the company but not followed by the workers shows that leader really doesn’t mean business. Any repetition of such kind of behavior will give the realization to the workers that company leader is either too imaginative lacking substance or say things that are not meant to be followed. A successful leader of company neither comes up with too idealistic policy that sets high expectations too high nor does a policy is rhetoric. An effective policy is meant for real world which is achievable and sets the rules that help workers and business alike to prosper in a safe working environment.