Creating effective occupational health and safety (OSH) policies

In this resource

• Why OSH policies matter
  
• What OSH policies can achieve
  
• What makes a policy effective
• Essential elements
• Developing the policy
• Key takeaways
• OSH policy checklist
• Templates and tools

Why OSH policies matter

An OSH policy is a formal statement by an organisation that clearly outlines the commitment to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees, as well as those who may be affected by its activities. The policy is important because it serves as the foundation and communication for all OSH activities.

What can OSH policies achieve?

• Communicate management’s commitment to employee health and safety, building trust and accountability. 
• Provide a strategy for legal and industry compliance, reducing risks of fines, penalties, and reputational harm. 
• Offer a framework for risk reduction to prevent accidents, injuries and occupational illnesses. 
• Define responsibilities for implementing safety measures.
• Create a proactive system for monitoring, reviewing, and improving safety performance. 
• Improve operational efficiency.

What makes a policy effective?

Many policies fail because they are vague set unrealistic expectations and lack management support. Effective policies balance being aspirational (setting ambitious standards) with being realistic (achievable in practice). This applies to all policies, not just OSH.

A policy should include these three essential elements:

1. Statement of intent - what the organisation is committed to achieving
2. Responsibilities - who is accountable and responsible for different aspects of OSH such as fire safety, first aid and emergencies
3. Arrangements - everyone should work to prevent incidents and to handle those which do not happen.

In addition to these, your policy should also include:

• performance criteria - setting clear goals for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment
• commitment to compliance - ensuring adherence to legal requirements
• platform of continuous improvement - establishing a framework for monitoring, reviewing and improvement of OSH performance.

Crafting your statement of intent

This is your organisation's public commitment to OSH. It should inspire action while being credible.

Key commitments should include:

• protecting worker safety, health and wellbeing through a safe and healthy workplace
• meeting legal requirements and potentially aiming to exceed them
• providing training and instruction for safe working
• consulting with workers on their safety, health and wellbeing
• assessing risks and implementing effective controls
• monitoring workplace conditions and investigating incidents
• striving to achieve good governance and sustainability
• regularly reviewing and improving OSH performance.

Writing tips

• Be specific, not generic - "We will provide monthly OSH training for all new employees", rather than "We will provide adequate training". 
• Use active language - "We will eliminate hazards", not "Hazards should be eliminated". 
• Keep it relevant and realistic - only commit to what you can genuinely deliver.
• Use clear, concise language - avoid legal jargon. 
• Make it proportionate to your organisation's size and complexity. 
• Consider how the OSH policy will work alongside other policies – make sure information is consistent.

Essential elements

Responsibilities

Everyone in your organisation has a role in protecting health, safety, and wellbeing. The roles and responsibilities of stakeholders should be clearly defined. The following table shows examples of how stakeholders are involved.

Stakeholder	Role and Responsibility
Employers	Develop and implement policy Provide resources Demonstrate visible commitment Monitor compliance
Employees	Participate in policy development Comply with the rules in the policies and report hazards Engage in training to stay up to date with policy content
OSH Professionals	Provide technical expertise for policy content Recommend improvements to management Ensure policy is evidence based Translate technical terms into understandable guidelines

Arrangements

These deal with how you will implement the commitments from the statement of intent into practice. This should include the details of the steps the organisation is going to take to improve health and safety.

Essential arrangements which should be included in the policy are:

• risk management
• training and competence
• consultation and communication
• monitoring and reporting
• emergency procedures

Additional elements

Performance criteria

Including this in a health and safety policy can help turn intentions into real results. It sets clear goals and measures progress, like tracking training completion or recording accidents. It can help everyone involved in the organisation to see how it is doing, and where improvements are needed. Performance criteria can be mapped to frameworks such as ISO 45001 as well as legal frameworks; by sharing the information within the organisation it also demonstrates transparency, and can be an effective way of providing a commitment to improvements.

Commitment to compliance

A clear commitment to compliance with legal requirements is considered a core element of an OSH policy. It shows the organisation's accountability and pledge to meet (or exceed) health and safety laws and regulations. It reassures employees and stakeholders that health and safety aren’t optional; it is a legal and ethical obligation.

Platform for continuous improvement

A policy should include a plan for monitoring, reviewing, and improving health and safety performance.

Developing the policy

Planning

• Consider your organisation's size, location, activities, risks and culture
• Review legal requirements specific to your sector or country
• Examine existing policies - what works, what doesn’t
• Identify key stakeholders who need to be involved.

Drafting

• Start with a template and customise to make it specific to your organisation
• Use clear, concise language and avoid too much jargon
• Build in flexibility for future changes

Consultation

• Engage senior management to ensure commitment and resources
• Consult with workers through representative groups, surveys or focus groups
• Involve specialists like occupational health advisors if needed 
• Test the policy - can people explain what the policy means for them?

Approval, launch and communication

The most senior member of the organisation, or the one appointed as being responsible for the organisation's health and safety, needs to sign the policy as well as the statement.

Collaborate with other teams to communicate the strategy and provide supporting materials like posters and emails, and conversations from managers to employees.

Build feedback and review timelines from when it’s been signed off.

Don’t forget - any effective policy requires regular reviewing. This could be when the organisation changes, or there are external factors such as changes in legal requirements, market changes or stakeholder expectations. Build this into its development.

Key takeaways

• A safety policy is more than words – it’s the foundation for protecting people at work.
• Setting clear goals helps everyone in the organisation know what 'safe' looks like and how to achieve it. 
• Following the law isn’t optional; it’s a promise to keep people safe and the organisation compliant. 
• Safety is never finished – regular checks and improvements keep workplaces healthy and productive

Checklist for your OSH policy

• Does your policy clearly say how the organisation will keep people safe?
• Have you set simple, measurable goals for safety and health?
• Does it show your commitment to following the law?
• Are roles and responsibilities easy to understand?
• Is there a plan to review and improve safety regularly?

A health and safety policy is a way to keep people safe and healthy at work, making clear promises, setting achievable realistic goals and planning improvements. Creating a workplace that promises to protect people will build trust, keep your organisation compliant, maintain a sustainable workforce - and make it a great place to work.

Templates and tools

Simple policy structure:

1. Introduction - Why we have this policy
2. Our commitments - What we will do
3. Your responsibilities - Who does what
4. How we deliver - Key procedures and arrangements
5. Monitoring and review - How we check it's working

This guide provides general principles for policy development. Always consider specific legal requirements for your jurisdiction and sector. Seek professional advice for complex organisations or high-risk activities.