In 1989 OSHA published the, “Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines” {Federal Register on January 26, 1989 (54 FR 3904)}. These guidelines were a landmark shift for OSHA, moving from specific “rule-following” toward a systematic “management-style” approach to safety.
OSHA developed these guidelines by drawing on its experience with the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP); however, both the VPP and the 1989 Guidelines were heavily influenced by the industrial safety models pioneered by companies like DuPont and Exxon.
The Four Original Core Elements (1989)
The original 1989 document organized an effective safety program into four primary “building blocks”:
- Management Leadership and Employee Involvement: Top management must provide the resources and personal commitment, while employees must be given the power to help develop and implement the program. Consider communities of practice and ways to involve all stakeholders.
- Worksite Analysis: A proactive process to identify existing hazards and anticipate new ones (often through “Job Hazard Analysis”). This includes physical, psychological, social and emotional safety hazards.
- Hazard Prevention and Control: Establishing procedures to eliminate or control hazards through engineering, work practices, or personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Safety and Health Training: Ensuring all employees understand the hazards they may be exposed to and how to protect themselves. Consider initiatives that are engaging and sustainable!
During the 1970s and 80s, DuPont was widely considered the “gold standard” for safety management. Their philosophy—that all injuries are preventable, and that safety is a line-management responsibility—formed the conceptual bedrock for the OSHA VPP (established in 1982).
Evolution of the Guidelines
We still have the original document scanned into our records and vividly recall when it was published! In 2016, OSHA updated these guidelines to reflect the modern workplace {Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs(OSHA 3885) (2016)}.
The original four elements were expanded into seven core elements, which are commonly used in safety training today:
- Management Leadership
- Worker Participation
- Hazard Identification and Assessment
- Hazard Prevention and Control
- Education and Training
- Program Evaluation and Improvement
- Communication and Coordination on Multi-employer Worksites
The Seven Core Elements should be the foundation of your safety program. These are practical, operationalizable elements. The first 2 Elements: Leadership Management and Involvement, and Employee Involvement are essential for the effectiveness of any safety and program.
There are many ways to implement the Core Elements and ensure that all 7 are embedded in all operations throughout your organization. Training is NOT implementation of the Elements! Certainly, an overview of the Elements is needed. However, then you and a team of leaders and stakeholders must dive into each of the 7 to determine the ‘how to’s’ – not just the ‘what’s’of the 7 nor the ‘why’s’ for these in your organization. The how to’s create the practical implementation.
Once a Team is established, they can begin to assess the best approach for this implementation journey. The elements are not intended to be a checklist or means to an end, but a journey – a process – that needs attention, inspiration, and sustainability.
The process needs to be a living, breathing initiative based on employee involvement and leadership commitment.
Based on the Seven Core Elements, OSHA is promoting a Safety Champion Program, which has three steps,
- Introductory,
- Intermediate, and
- Advanced
The Steps are self-guided, and participants may work at their own pace.