A safety manual is a collection of information, instructions, policies, and procedures intended to ensure the safe operation of any tools, machinery, chemicals, or food that you use, as well as safe conduct in the workplace.You need a safety manual if you work in a profession that uses those items.If your employees have to provide first aid to others or practice safety procedures, you'll need a manual.Ensuring that management and employees are on the same page about who is responsible for what and how to make sure that your business stays safe is something that a good safety manual can help with.It can be difficult to write one, but with careful planning, you can make it work.
Step 1: The safety plan needs a list of all the tools, materials, and responsibilities.
This will help you figure out what you need to include in your manual and make sure you don't forget anything critical.Depending on the nature of your business, you may need to produce a series of manuals, each of which focuses on a specific area.If you have a company that uses a lot of chemicals, you'll need sections about storage, handling, and transportation.Heavy machinery, handheld tools, safety goggles, and other items can be found in sections if your company works in manufacturing.You should recruit the heads of every department.
Step 2: You can research the standards in your industry.
ISO has standards for risk management and food safety management.There is a starting place for company safety manuals in these standards.You can get in touch with these organizations.Guide to standards for production, food safety, and many other areas are offered by the ISO and similar organizations.
Step 3: Make sure you read your city and state guidelines.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may require safety manuals for certain practices and procedures, as well as specifying what the manual must cover.You can ask for a copy of the guidelines by contacting your local city council.Failure to follow these regulations may expose companies to lawsuits and criminal charges.
Step 4: If your company uses chemical safety, include a section on it.
It's important that you use the chemicals in the way they're supposed to be used.The instructions on storage, usage, handling, and transportation should be included in your manual.Each topic can have separate sections.If you work in a scientific lab, you will need to make sure that your chemicals are labeled and kept at the correct temperature.All of the protocols should be covered in your manual.If applicable, cover information about how to transport chemicals to different parts of your building.
Step 5: If it applies to your business, you should include information on food safety.
A thorough safety manual is definitely needed by companies that make or serve food.Make sure your manual has sections on how to prepare, store, and handle food.Important charts about temperature guidelines should be included.Safety information about using professional-grade equipment should also be included.
Step 6: If you own a business, you should write a chapter on standard operating procedures.
It's a good idea to let your employees know what to do in order to make sure they stay safe, no matter what type of business you run.General safety tips and what to do in case of an emergency can be included in a safety manual.There are sections on events such as the fire natural disaster and the Active shooter gas leak.
Step 7: In the safety plan, who is responsible for each step?
The manual indicates who needs to do what.It is important to indicate who is responsible for every step.The best person to handle each job is decided when you plan and research the manual.If you are writing a section about making sure that chemicals are kept at the proper temperature, make sure to note that it is the supervisor's job to check that every hour.
Step 8: Management should contribute to the manual's content.
If management and employees are involved in its adoption, the actual writing will be more accepted within the company.Managers are asked to submit suggestions for different sections of the manual.You could hold a meeting, send an email, or even set up an anonymous survey to get feedback.Inform employees about what they need to know.Don't feel like you have to listen to everyone's advice, but open this up to all of your employees.Give everyone a chance to participate in a survey about what information would be most helpful in the manual.
Step 9: The table of contents should be included at the beginning.
No matter what type of business you run, this is important.There is a way for employees to easily find what they are looking for.Section headings should be clear, brief, and include page numbers.It is possible to include sections such as: Laboratory Safety Employee PPE Operating Procedures Protocols Cleaning Emergency Procedures Record Keeping.
Step 10: For easy access, include templates of commonly used documents.
Employees need to keep a lot of records, such as transportation and safety logs.Your employees will always know where to find these forms if you keep them in the manual.It will be helpful if they have access to electronic copies of the manual.An appendix in the safety manual could include documents such as supply logs, cleaning schedules, and repair schedules.It is possible to update these documents annually or as often as needed.
Step 11: Paper and electronic copies are updated annually.
Keeping both formats will make it easier for employees to access the manual.It's a good idea to keep paper copies in areas where they might be useful.It's a good idea to keep a manual visible in areas where tools and chemicals are stored.All employees can access the manual at any time if you keep an electronic version on your website.It's important to update your manual every year because standards and guidelines change.You don't have to change anything, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on it.
Step 12: Language that is easy to understand is what you should use.
Outside regulators may look at the manual to make sure all regulations are covered, but they won't read it like your employees would.They can easily understand and follow the manual if it is written well.Keep in mind that you should use short sentences and short paragraphs with simple words.Write in the voice that is active.
Step 13: The manual needs to be accessible to all employees.
Don't use terms that only experts will understand.Make sure to give the technical terms context and provide simple, clear definitions.Explain what an acronym means.If you want to introduce them in the text with the full term followed by its acronym in parentheses, you can do that in an introductory section.Explain symbols.If you want to explain the symbols as they appear in the manual, you can have an introductory section.
Step 14: To be easy to read, lay out the manual.
The layout should make it easier for the reader to focus on the most important concepts.The easy to understand safety information will allow the reader to find what they are looking for.Don't forget to use headings and subheadings to introduce topics, identify subtopics, and group text blocks.When possible, place drawings and text on the same page.
Step 15: Use a readable style and point size for easy reading.
The 10- to 12-point size is the best for printed body text.The body text can be set off in boldface, italics or both.The best contrast between text and background can be found in black text on white paper.If there is enough contrast between the text and background, shaded text boxes may be appropriate.