Safe Work Procedures: What They Are and How to Write Them
The workplace can be dangerous. According to WorkSafeBC, 140 people in British Columbia died from work-related causes in 2019, and BC workers missed a combined total of 3.2 million work days due to work-related injury and illness. It is clear that safe work procedures, which are meant to reduce the risk of harm to workers, are very important documents. In many workplaces, they are regulatory requirements. But what exactly are they, and what’s the best way to write one?
What is a safe work procedure?
A safe work procedure, also known as a safe job procedure, guides a worker through performing a potentially dangerous task as safely and efficiently as possible. It clearly identifies the hazards the worker could be exposed to, gives a written step-by-step description of how to complete the task in order from start to finish, and describes the control measures that have been developed to reduce the risk.
For example, here is the first page of a safe work procedure that guides workers through safely using a hydraulic lift.
Source: manualzz.com
A safe work procedure for a task must be followed every time the task is performed. To help encourage this, safe work procedures must be approved by management, taught to workers through training, kept accessible for easy reference, and regularly reviewed and updated.
When is a safe work procedure necessary?
A safe work procedure is needed whenever a workplace task involves potential hazards that can’t be eliminated completely. Following a safe work procedure ensures that workers will avoid these hazards as much as possible and will know what to do if something goes wrong.
Examples of tasks that might require safe work procedures include servicing power lines, cleaning hospital rooms, using heavy construction equipment, or working with dangerous chemicals.
Elements of a safe work procedure
A safe work procedure should include the following elements:
A brief description of the task.
A list of potential hazards involved with performing the task.
The warning signs of potential injury, illness, or other damage resulting from these hazards, and what steps to take if they occur.
The responsibilities of each person involved in performing the task.
Any pre-requisites for performing the task (for example, authorization from a manager or completion of required training).
Any required safety equipment and how it should be used.
A sequence of clear steps for performing the task, including any required set-up or post-task activities.
Any emergency, first aid, or evacuation procedures that may be needed.
Any relevant additional information.
How to write and maintain a safe work procedure
To create a safe work procedure for a particular task:
Identify the potential hazards associated with the task. This can be done by:
observing someone performing the task
reviewing previous incident data
discussing the task with the people who perform it
reviewing manufacturers’ instructions
researching potential safety issues
2. Perform a risk assessment, determining the severity of injury and likelihood of occurrence of each of the potential hazards you’ve identified.
3. Perform a task analysis, determining the steps and controls necessary to mitigate the risk to an acceptable level.
4. Write the procedure, including all steps and controls necessary to perform the task while avoiding the identified hazards.
5. Review the procedure with the people who will be performing the task, their managers, and the people responsible for health and safety in the organization.
To review and update an existing safe work procedure, follow the same steps, determining which areas of the procedure need to be updated and which areas can stay the same.
Using plain language will make any safe work procedure easier to navigate and understand. Write with a direct, friendly tone, use consistent terms, and choose the simplest words and phrases that will still convey the necessary information. Use plain language principles to structure the document to make it easy to search and navigate, and include diagrams and other illustrations wherever it makes sense to do so.
Safe work procedures are important technical documents that are designed to warn workers of the hazards of their job and to provide steps to keep workers safe, so it is important that they are clear, thorough, accurate, and frequently reviewed. They must also be kept easily accessible for reference, and every worker who needs to perform the task must be trained on them and informed of any updates.
Further Resources
Many provincial associations provide instructions and templates for performing risk assessments and creating safe work procedures:
Industry associations, such as the BC Construction Safety Alliance, are also often a good source of workplace safety resources specific to a particular industry.