What is a Health & Safety Management System?

The eight elements listed below are considered to be the minimum components of a municipal health and safety management system.

1. Clearly stated municipal health and safety policy and demonstrated senior management support (organizational commitment).
2. Identification and assessment of health and safety hazards at the work site.
3. Hazard control measures to eliminate or reduce exposure to hazards.
4. Formal inspection programs to identify new hazards and monitor the effectiveness of hazard control measures.
5. Worker orientation, education and training to ensure workers know how to do their jobs safely.
6. Emergency response planning to ensure appropriate action in a work-related emergency.
7. Incident investigation to discover all the causes of the incident and prevent recurrence.
8. Program administration to ensure system coordination and effectiveness. This includes communication, worker participation, record-keeping, and evaluation.

Two key factors will ensure success of a health and safety management system:

• visible management commitment from elected and appointed officials;
• and meaningful worker participation.

Without these, the system can not be truly effective. AMHSA can help with the development of your municipality's health and safety management system. The Association runs training courses and has a variety of resource material available.