Safety Management Systems
Every company has a formal or informal safety management system (SMS) to ensure their workplace is safe and healthful.
When all of the components are integrated, they form a system.
Ultimately, the design and performance of the SMS represent the root causes of a safety culture's success or failure.
Typical components of an effective SMS include:
- Vision statement: Vision statements tell the world what the company would like to accomplish in the future. A vision statement is based on an organization's strategic and organizational objectives.
- Mission statement: Mission statements explain why the company is in business, its purpose, and what it does.
- Objectives: These describe the intended outcomes that support the mission and vision.
- Policies: Policies provide general guidance formulated and implemented by managers at all levels, allowing employees to make decisions without having to ask permission.
- Programs: Programs focus on specific topics like confined space, training, and accountability. They describe coordinated strategies that support policy.
- Plans: Give clear written (formal) guidelines on how to implement programs and policies. They include long-term strategies and short-term tactics.
- Processes: Process usually include several procedures and may be very complicated. They help to ensure safety is integrated into operational activities.
- Procedures: These are concise formal/informal step-by-step instructions about how to perform a task.
- Budgets: Budgets support investment in all of the above components.
- Rules: Rules are very specific and clearly state specifications and performance standards.
- Reports: Reports provide useful data that helps improve safety. They reflect processes, measure results and evaluate the effectiveness of all the above components.
Leaders get what they give, and managers get what they design.
Bottom line: Safety management systems must be designed and deployed effectively, or the results will be flawed. If system design is flawed, it doesn't matter how effectively it is deployed; the result will not be what was intended.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-6. Which component of an effective safety management system (SMS) provides a way for employees to make decisions without having to ask permission?
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