How to write an employee safety manual

Every company needs to have an Employee Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

You should start out with a cover sheet with the name of your company and what the manual is. For example you could use the following:

Smith Brothers Construction

Employee Injury and Illness Prevention Program

Then you should have a cover letter following the cover page. The cover letter should be constructed on the company letterhead, dated and signed by the owner or the Chief Executive Officer. If it is a revised cover letter then that should be reflected at the bottom of the cover letter.

Once these manuals are sent out, you should give adequate time for them to be read by each employee and signed and dated by them. This will be protection for the company that they have indeed been given the manual, have read it and signed it.

Page One should include the following:

New Employee Safety Indoctrination

Safe Work Rules and practices

Standard Job Procedures

Corrective Action

Skill Training

Personal Protection Equipment and Resources

Supervisory Investigation

Personal Control and Accountability

Page Two should include the following:

Mission Statement.

Safety Leadership Statement

Page Three should include the following:

An outline of what is in the manual and the pages that the particular subject is on.

All of the pages after this should outline what the company expects and encourages. This will include what the worker’s responsibility is, what enforcement will be taken if the worker does not meet the companies safety rules. Also, include here the management’s commitment to safety and health.

The following pages should include what the worker must do in the event that they see a non compliant act or practice, which may be the employee stops what they are doing and immediately reports it to a supervisor. From here you have to list what the Supervisor will do in the event of a safety issue. For example, the supervisor or foreman is responsible for the safety of the worker. They have to participate in investigating safety issues and accidents that occur.

Then you must list General Information such as the Equal Opportunity Employers’ statement. You have to list your policy regarding sexual and other unlawful harassment. List here what the company believes. You should list that you encourage anyone that feels they are being harassed to go to a supervisor and report it. Then list what steps will be taken to investigate it, what will happen to the employee that is doing the harassing.

Then you must list first aid procedures. Employees have to know where to go when they are need of first aid. This should be clearly stated. It is very important for them as well as the company.

From here you have to list the company’s view on workplace violence, what will happen to the employees in the event this occurs. This has to be clearly stated in the manual.

You must list intolerable offenses such as alcohol and substance abuse. This is another one that has to be clearly stated, as this is grounds for immediate termination at most companies.

You should then list the company's code of safe practices concernig work practices, personal protection equipment, tools and equipment, and lifting.

List basic ergonomics for your company, the proper body mechanics that are involved for back injury protection.

Then you need to list the company's policy on hazard protection.

Finally you have to write the company disclaimer. Stating that the information that is contained in the handbook was compiled from sources believed to be reliable and to represent the best current opinion the subject. Then put that the Smith Construction Company reserves the right to modify, revoke, suspend, terminate or change any or all procedures, at any time, without prior notice.

On the last page you need to outline all the subjects that are in the manual and have the employee initial or sign. It should be dated and the person that gave the manual to the employee should also sign and date it. Employees should have to print and sign their name as well as the person that gave the manual to the employee.

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy