Safety program

Safety Program: How to Build a Compliant, Effective Workplace Safety System

If you’re searching for a “safety program,” you likely need two things: a practical way to prevent injuries and incidents, and a defensible approach to workplace compliance. A strong workplace safety program brings those goals together by documenting how you identify hazards, train employees, respond to incidents, and meet legal requirements—without creating paperwork that no one uses.

This guide explains what an employee safety program should include, how to align it with OSHA expectations, and how SwiftSDS can support compliance—especially around required workplace postings and employee notifications.

What is a safety program (and why compliance depends on it)?

A safety program is the organized set of policies, procedures, training, and accountability measures that reduce workplace hazards and demonstrate that the employer is actively managing risk. It’s broader than a single policy: it includes how work is performed, supervised, documented, and improved over time.

For context and terminology (useful when drafting policies and training), see SwiftSDS’s overview: define workplace safety.

Legal frameworks that shape workplace safety programs

In the U.S., most employers build health and safety programs around requirements and expectations from:

• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) – General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)): requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm.
• OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910 for General Industry; 1926 for Construction): include specific requirements such as hazard communication, PPE, walking-working surfaces, machine guarding, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, and more (as applicable).
• Recordkeeping and reporting (29 CFR 1904): certain employers must keep OSHA injury/illness records and report serious incidents.

Your program doesn’t replace those rules—it’s the system that helps you consistently meet them.

Core components of an employee safety program (actionable checklist)

A compliant employee safety program is clear, implemented, and provable. Here are the components HR teams and owners should prioritize.

1) Written policy + leadership accountability

Start with a short policy statement that covers:

• Management commitment and safety goals
• Employee responsibilities and reporting expectations
• Non-retaliation for reporting hazards or injuries
• How safety rules are enforced (progressive discipline aligned with HR practices)

If you’re developing the full structure, SwiftSDS’s hub on Health and safety policies and procedures can help you map policies to real operations.

2) Hazard identification and risk assessment

Create a repeatable process, such as:

• Baseline walkthrough inspections (monthly/quarterly depending on risk)
• Job hazard analyses (JHAs) for higher-risk roles
• Change management checks when introducing new equipment, chemicals, or processes
• A simple hazard log with owner, due date, corrective action, and verification

Tip: Make supervisors accountable for closing corrective actions, not just finding hazards.

3) Training and communication (with documentation)

Training should be role-specific and refreshed when conditions change. At minimum, document:

• New hire orientation (company rules, reporting, emergency procedures)
• Task-specific training (equipment, PPE, chemical handling, ergonomics)
• Supervisor training (incident response, investigations, coaching)

When chemicals are present, your training must align with OSHA Hazard Communication (HazCom) requirements. That’s where employee awareness obligations overlap with “right to know” concepts—see employee right to know.

4) Incident reporting, investigation, and corrective actions

Your workplace safety program should specify:

• How employees report near misses, hazards, injuries, and property damage
• When medical care is required and how to document it
• Investigation steps (who, what, when, where, why, corrective actions)
• Root-cause approach (process failures vs. blame)

If you need OSHA recordkeeping, define who maintains OSHA 300/301/300A logs and how privacy cases are handled.

5) Emergency preparedness and response

Include procedures for:

• Fire, severe weather, power outage, medical emergencies
• Evacuation routes and assembly points
• Emergency contacts and roles (wardens, first-aid responders)
• Coordination with building management (for offices) or site leadership (for field work)

Office-based employers can use SwiftSDS’s office safety resource to strengthen low-incident, high-impact preparedness measures (slips/trips, workstation setup, evacuation maps).

Health and safety programs also include “people risk” compliance

Many employers separate “safety” from “HR conduct,” but regulators and courts don’t always see it that way—especially when workplace violence risk, impairment, harassment, or discrimination creates hazards.

Drug-free workplace expectations

Some employers have contractual or industry-driven reasons to maintain a drug-free program. If your policies reference federal or state requirements, ensure they align with your hiring, testing, and accommodation practices. SwiftSDS provides background at drug free workplace act.

Harassment prevention as part of a safe workplace

Harassment and retaliation increase risk, undermine reporting, and can lead to legal exposure. Training, reporting channels, and corrective action procedures support a safer culture and can be integrated into your broader program. See harassment in the workplace laws.

Posting and notice compliance: don’t overlook required employee notifications

A safety program is stronger when employees can easily access required rights and notices. Posting compliance also reduces risk during audits or complaints.

Federal posting requirements (baseline)

Most employers must post certain federal notices. For wage-and-hour rights, many workplaces must display Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):

• Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (English)
• Derechos de los Trabajadores Bajo la Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo (FLSA) (Spanish)

For a broader overview, see Federal (United States) Posting Requirements.

State and local requirements (examples)

Posting obligations vary significantly by jurisdiction. For instance, Massachusetts public-sector employers may need workplace safety-related notices such as:

• Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Protection for Public Employees

If you operate in specific locations, verify local rules through SwiftSDS pages such as:

• California (CA) Posting Requirements
• Illinois (IL) Posting Requirements
• Boston, Suffolk County, MA Posting Requirements

Operational tip: automate the “last mile” of compliance

Many safety programs fail at execution—posters expire, remote teams don’t see notices, or multi-state employers miss local updates. Consider using a managed solution like SwiftSDS’s compliance poster service so postings stay current while your team focuses on training, inspections, and corrective actions.

Implementing your workplace safety program in 30–60 days (practical plan)

Phase 1 (Week 1–2): Build the framework

• Assign program owner and site leads
• Draft the safety policy, reporting process, and investigation form
• Create an inspection checklist and corrective-action log
• Identify required postings by location (federal + state + local)

Phase 2 (Week 3–6): Train and launch

• Roll out new-hire and annual training plan
• Train supervisors on reporting, investigations, and coaching
• Conduct baseline inspections and prioritize top 5 hazards
• Verify SDS access, HazCom labels, and chemical inventory (if applicable)

Phase 3 (Week 7–8+): Measure and improve

• Track leading indicators (inspections completed, hazards corrected, training completion)
• Review incidents and near misses monthly
• Hold quarterly management review and update the program

For additional structure around continuous improvement, see Safety and health management.

FAQ: Safety program basics

What’s the difference between a safety program and a health and safety program?

They’re often used interchangeably. “Health and safety programs” sometimes emphasize occupational health elements (exposure monitoring, ergonomics, return-to-work), while “safety program” may focus more on injury prevention and hazard controls. Most employers combine both—see occupational health.

Do small businesses need a workplace safety program?

Yes. Even when not explicitly required to have a formal written program, employers are still responsible for providing a workplace free of recognized hazards under OSHA’s General Duty Clause and applicable OSHA standards. A right-sized written program also helps prove training, communication, and corrective actions.

How do I know which postings apply to my location?

Start with your jurisdiction requirements and then layer in industry-specific obligations. SwiftSDS maintains location pages like Maryland (MD) Labor Law Posting Requirements and the broader Federal (United States) Posting Requirements to help you confirm what to post.

A compliant safety program is a system: clear expectations, real training, consistent inspections, prompt corrective action, and up-to-date employee notices. When it’s implemented well, it reduces injuries and strengthens your position during audits, claims, and investigations. For more examples and practical ideas you can adapt by industry, review health and safety in the workplace examples.