Safety & Health Management

System Training

Lesson 1 OSHA & the Importance of

Having a Safety Health Management
System (SHMS)
 Safety Health Management System (SHMS)
Webinar Series
In this series of webinars developed under the Susan Harwood Grant,
you will learn:
o Lesson 1 - OSHA and the Importance of Having a Safety
Health Management System (SHMS)
o Lesson 2 Management Commitment & Leadership
o Lesson 3 Worksite Analysis
o Lesson 4 Hazard Prevention & Control
o Lesson 5 Safety & Health Training
Introduction
Safety and health management systems can
greatly reduce the number and severity of work-
related accidents and illnesses.
Managers and employees can work together to
identify workplace hazards and potentially
dangerous conditions.
Take a proactive approach: develop and
implement processes, procedures and programs
that are preventative.
The benefits: fewer lost work days, lower
workers' compensation costs and higher
employee morale and productivity
Lesson 1 Contents
1. Objectives
2. What is OSHA
3. OSHAs Business Requirements
4. What is a SHMS
5. Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
6. SHMS Models
7. Benefits of an SHMS
8. Case Study
Objectives
Learn how a Safety and Health Management
System (SHMS) can be a proactive approach to
preventing workplace accidents and injuries.

Learn about the U.S. Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) and compliance
requirements.

Learn what a safety and health management

system is and its benefit.
What is OSHA?
OSHAs mission is to assure that every employee
has the right to a safe work environment and
healthful working conditions. They do this by:
Enforcing the standards developed under the Act.
Providing training, outreach and education.
Assisting and encouraging the State governments to
do the same.
Encouraging continual process improvement in
workplace safety and health.
What is OSHA?
OSHA regulations are found in Title 29 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). These
regulations can be difficult to interpret or
understand which ones apply to your company if
you do not have an organized approach.
Implementing a formal SHMS provides an
organized approach and helps ensure your
company's compliance with OSHA regulations.
What is OSHA?
OSHA Federal regulations cover most private
sector workplaces, however it is the employers
responsibility to provide a safe working
environment.

Coverage applies to all employers and their

employees in all 50 states unless excluded by the
Appropriations Act.

26 states operate their own State Plan.

OSHA Business Requirements
As a business you must comply with OSHA's
laws, regulations and standards.

In fact, all employers must post the federal or

State OSHA poster. (See 29 CFR 1903.2.)

If you have 11 or more employees, must also

keep records of work-related injuries and
illnesses (with some exemptions).
OSHA Business Requirements
What is a SHMS?
A safety and health management system
(SHMS) provides an organized approach to
manage and reduce safety and health hazards.

A SHMS helps achieve OSHA compliance, but

designed to go beyond OSHA compliance;
ensure continual improvement of safety and
health performance.
Poll Question #0
What is a SHMS?
For example, an employer finds an unsafe
condition during a routine safety inspection of the
facility.

If an SHMS is implemented, the employer will not

only seek to improve the condition to meet OSHA
compliance, but will seek a long-term solution to
ensure the non-compliant condition will not
reoccur.
What is a SHMS?
Example Elements
Occupational safety & Health
Hazard identification and risk control
Operational control
Emergency preparedness and response
Employee training
Management review
Continuous system evaluation and improvement
Poll Question #1
What is a SHMS?
There are four main components of an SHMS:
(1) Management Leadership
(2) Worksite Analysis
(3) Hazard Prevention and Control
(4) Safety and Health Training
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
A SHMS is a holistic approach to safetya living,
breathing documented system
Safety is an organizational value
Considered fundamental to the companys survival
and is everyones responsibility.
In an effective SHMS, employees look for ways to
make their work environment safer for themselves and
their coworkers.
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
Ongoing Management support
Employees, supervisors and managers must perceive
that safety is not just todays priority subject to
change tomorrow.
Management must communicate, and continually
demonstrate, to employees that safety and health
issues must be factored into all aspects of business
operations.
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS

Employee involvement
All employees contribute to safety and health
(Ex. Safety Committees)

Those in key positions must understand their

roles and responsibilities and be
knowledgeable of the companys SHMS
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
Key personnel involved in development
Identify a key person or staff to oversee the
development of your SHMS.
While its good to involve all employees in the
implementation of the program, someone needs to be
in charge.
The person in charge will need the authority to make
changes where necessary and bring critical issues to
the attention of management.
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS

Development Schedule
A schedule of activities and assignment of
responsibilities is required

Employees need to know what they must do and

when

Key safety and health activities must be

completed
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
Adaptability and ease of use
Needs to be used and understood by all employees

During development, keep in mind those with disabilities

who may need various methods of understanding the
system

Easy to understand and implement

SHMS should be adaptable to allow changes and

improvements in your organization.
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
Pre-Assessments - to improve safety and health
management and reduce workplace injury and
illness:
Need to discover the reasons why unsafe practices
occur
A preliminary assessment identifies what elements of
your existing system need additional work
An understanding of what you have for losses and why
its key
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS
Successful Implementation
Requires work
Develop new or modified safety and health
procedures and documents identified from
assessments
Ensure adequate time and resources to train
employees on all systems
Characteristics of an Effective SHMS

Periodic reviews or audits will help identify:

Problems or deficiencies in the system

Develop corrective actions

Keep you on track to meet goals and

objectives
Poll Question #2
SHMS Models
Material presented in this course is based on several
models:
OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Specification OHSAS 18001:1999
American National Standard, ANSI Z10 Occupational Health and
Safety Management Systems.
ISO 9000 - International Organization for Standardization
Employers who implement an SHMS according to the
elements of one of these three standards can minimize
workplace risks and reduce injuries and the costs
associated.
SHMS Models
OSHA created the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in
1982
To recognize and partner with employers that implement
exemplary systems for managing safety and health.
VPP utilizes a set of performance-based criteria and hold
management accountable for:
Worker safety and health
Continual identification and elimination of hazards
The active involvement of employees in their own
protection.
The criteria can be implemented in all industries in all
sizes.
SHMS Models
Employers who meet the VPP criteria are
exempted from OSHA compliance inspections for
a specified period of time.

OSHA also periodically re-evaluates the employer

site to confirm its qualification for VPP.

Being identified as a VPP demonstrates an

ongoing partnership with OSHA and an employer
commitment to effective worker protection.
Poll Question #3
SHMS Models Other Models
OHSAS 18001: 1999 The Occupational Health and
Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) Management
Systems Specification 18001 was developed in response
to customer demand for a recognizable occupational
health and safety management system standard against
which companies can be assessed and certified.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) developed this

specification, which is modeled after and compatible with
the very effective management system standards for
quality (ISO 9000) and the environment (ISO 14000).
SHMS Models Other Models
ANSI Z10 Standards developed for SHMS called ANSI
Z10 - Occupational Health and Safety Management
Systems by American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

ANSI Z10 Employers must evaluate their own

conformance to the standard rather than rely on a third-
party audit as in OHSAS 18001.

In addition, employers will not be removed from

programmed OSHA compliance inspections as in the VPP
programs.
Poll Question #4
Poll Question #5
Benefits of an SHMS
Keeps employees safer by having system to
prevent injuries and illnesses

Reduced workers' compensation costs. Fewer

injuries and illnesses leads to a reduction in your
workers' compensation premiums and costs. The
cost savings directly improve your company's
bottom line.
Benefits of an SHMS

Improved productivity and quality. The systematic

requirements of an SHMS leads to a healthier, safer
workforce with fewer mistakes and less downtime.

Improved workplace environment. Many VPP sites

report workplace improvements such as lower turnover
rates, reduced absenteeism and improved employee
morale. When managers emphasize employee
participation in SHMSs, employees have the opportunity
to take ownership of their work environment and their
contributions have proven to be tremendous.
Benefits of an SHMS
Reduced lost workday injuries. VPP sites
generally report 60 to 80% fewer lost workday
injuries than would be expected from an
"average" site of the same size in their industries
[source: Carolina Star Manual (page I-1)].
Poll Question #6
Case Study
Cozy Heating and Cooling (CHC)
In this Course you will journey along with a fictitious company,
Cozy Heating and Cooling (CHC), as it implements parts of its
own SHMS. Come meet some of its key personnel and learn more
about the business's occupational safety and health concerns.
Ben Smith, a young entrepreneur skilled in installing and servicing
residential heating and air conditioning equipment, started CHC in
1968. Although Ben began the business in the back room of a
local warehouse, the company now employs 92 people and
serves residential and industrial clients in the Greenville, SC area.
CHC employs a management team including Owner and
President (Ben Smith), a General Manager, a Sales Manager, an
Operations Foreman, and a Human Resources Manager.
Approximately 50 service technicians report to the Operations
Foreman and his Assistant.
Case Study
The Human Resources Manager (Mary White), who is also
responsible for safety and health, has noticed an unusually large
rise in the number of workers' compensation claims filed in the
last two years. The accidents range from cuts and scrapes to
more serious injuries such as falls and back injuries. In addition,
service technicians have been involved in more vehicle accidents
as they travel to and from job sites.
After researching the OSHA website and discussing accident
prevention with their workers' compensation insurance company,
Mary suggested to Ben that CHC could benefit from
implementing an SHMS. Once Ben realized that an SHMS could
reduce accidents and their associated costs, he assigned Mary
with the responsibility and authority to implement an SHMS.
Be sure to register for the next session to see how Mary starts
her journey in developing a SHMS for Cozy Heating and Cooling.
Conclusion
This is the end of Lesson 1, please take the post-
test and complete the lesson evaluation form.

Sign up for Lesson 2 and subsequent lessons.

In order to get your certificate of completion for

this series, you must complete all 5 lessons.
RESOURCE LINKS
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/
Safety & Health Program References -
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/mo
d4_factsheets_refs.html
 This course, funded by an OSHA-sponsored Susan
Harwood grant, is designed to assist small and medium
sized businesses in developing and implementing an
effective safety and health management system.
This material was produced under grant SH-17814-08-
60-F-24 from the Occupational Safety Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not
necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S.
Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.