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Documenting E&OHS Policies and procedures

System documentation provides, not only the proof that the system is in place, but the review and understanding of the documentation provides for the continual improvement of the system and the achievement of the management system goals.

DOCUMENTED health and safety policies and procedure means that you:

  1. Write it down or type it out
  2. Share it with your workers by reviewing it during toolbox and safety meetings; and make it available to them by either: a. printing it out and posting it on bulletin boards or at each worker’s work station. b. sharing it electronically with your workers through a website or emails, and
  3. Can easily find it and refer back to it when you need it.
Health and Safety Policy procedure Documentation

OHS Policy Statement An OHS Policy Statement reflects the requirement that everyone working for your business will work according to safe work practices.

An OHS Policy includes:

  1. A statement expressing your commitment to protect and maintain the health and safety of your workers.
  2. An outline of the general OHS responsibilities of the owner, supervisors, workers, suppliers, contractors and visitors; and
  3. An outline of how health and safety will be communicated and implemented in your workplace. Job Hazard Assessments, Risk Assessments, Field Level Risk Assessments, Safe Work Procedures.
 Signed and posted Safety Policy (see sample)
Hazards identification and control program A Hazard identification and control program means you have a systematic method to identify and document which hazards exist in your work place. Controls are steps you take to reduce the risks of hazards within the workplace. How you control the risk of the hazards are your written safe operating procedures. Job Hazard Assessments
  1. Risk Assessments
  2. Field Level Risk Assessments
  3. Safe Work Procedures
  4. Operational requirements
Emergency Response Plan
A site-specific emergency response plan (ERP) informs every person in the workplace what they must do in case of an emergency.
They must know:
  1. What potential emergencies exist;
  2. What steps to take, including who sounds the alarm, what are the evacuation routes and where are muster points;
  3. Where the emergency equipment is located and who is trained to use it;
  4. How the alarm system works, how to report emergencies and who to report to;
  5. Rescue and evacuation procedures;
  6. How to contact emergency services: Fire department, RCMP, Medical facility.
NOTE: You must develop an ERP for every workplace your workers will be on.
  1. Posters and Signage with Evacuation (use an evacuation signation)
  2. Emergency response procedure (see sample form)
  3. Emergency Services phone number posted
  4. Alarms and Communication Systems to Alert Workers
Defined Roles and Responsibilities
Safe work procedures outline each person’s responsibility and duties according to their level of abilities and authority.
  1. Owners provide resources to maintain a safe workplace.
  2. Supervisors communicate hazards and hazard controls to workers and train workers and ensure workers follow safe work procedures.
  3. Workers follow safe work procedures and regulatory requirements. They report unsafe work and conditions and workplace injuries
  1. Safety Policy
  2. Job Descriptions
  3. Safe Work Procedures
  4. Hazard Reporting Procedures (see sample)
  5. Injury Reporting Procedures (see sample)
Inspection guidelines including work site, work processes and procedures
Work procedures include formal and informal inspections and procedure review.
  1. Formal inspections are a standard part of the job that occur on a regular schedule, follow a checklist and are performed by a specific person or position.
  2. Inspection Reports from the OHS Committee or OHS Representative
Informal inspections include:
  1. Managers inspecting the overall environment
  2. Supervisors inspect worksite and equipment conditions and worker performance to monitor if workers follow safe work procedures
  3. Workers inspecting their immediate work stations and work conditions, equipment, tools and procedures
 Inspection Reports from the OHS Committee or OHS Representative Pre-work equipment check (see sample) Maintenance logs
OHS training plan
An OHS training plan ensures workers have the competencies to perform their tasks safely. The plan also tracks what general and worksite specific training is required, notes which workers have successfully completed the training as well as when they need to renew their training.
  1. Training Record Matrix: Lists employees and all training applicable to the workplace, indicating who has what training and when they need to renew or update certification. (see sample)
  2. Employee Training Record: Individual employee’s training and certifications, indicating when the employee needs to renew or update the training.
OHS Committee and representatives(when you have 20 or more workers)
A Joint OHS committee is a group made up of an equal number of employer appointed employees and worker representatives who meet regularly to deal with health and safety issues. They inspect the workplace and make recommendations to the employer on how to manage safety concerns
  1. JOHS Committee meeting agendas and minutes
  2. Inspection Reports including corrective actions and follow-up
Safe and timely return to work procedure
  1. Identifies work an injured or ill worker can safely perform while recovering;
  2. may involve working modified duties or fewer hours while recovering;
  3. identifies roles of the employer, the worker, healthcare providers, and the WSCC; and
  4. Outlines the procedure the employer will use to assist injured or ill workers back to work
 Return to Work Policy (see sample) Return to work plans for injured or ill worker

Sector Specific Standards