The absence of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) ranks among the most frequent Cal/OSHA (California Occupational Safety and Health Administration) citations against businesses. Fines for the failure to have an IIPP are upwards to $7,000. Many California employers are not aware that it is mandated by law to have a written IIPP. The law (Senate Bill 198) enacted in 1989, and effective on July 1, 1991, requires California employers to develop and implement an IIPP.
In this and upcoming posts we will take a look at eight required sections of the IIPP, along with suggestions that will help you get started in creating an effective safety program. Today, we will look at the first two elements to consider:
1. Management commitment/assignment of responsibilities
A demonstration of safety and health begins with top-level management. Management’s commitment to safety will set the tone for the rest of the organization. Appointing a safety captain to be in charge of the program is a great start to demonstrating company-wide commitment. While the safety captain’s primary role is to ensure that safety work-habits are adopted throughout the organization, they may, also, lead a safety committee comprised of employees representing each department/area of the organization. Members of the committee can assist the safety captain by executing the organization’s safety goals.
2. Safety Communication system
There are many creative ways that you can communicate the importance of safety to your staff. They may include: introducing your safety program during new hire orientations, include examples of safe behaviors in a company newsletter/company-wide communication, post safety posters throughout your facility or communicate a safety tidbit on a regular basis at a start-up/staff meeting. Remember, empowering your team to develop creative ideas on how to effectively communicate your safety program will go a long way in motivating them to stay committed.
In our next post, we’ll discuss enforcing employee compliance with the safety plan, how to assess hazards in the workplace, and conducting investigations.
Contributed by: Sara Richards, Senior Loss Control Manager, CPEhr
