Health and Safety Policies and Procedures Compliance

Health and safety policies and procedures: what you need for compliant, safer operations

If you’re searching for “health and safety policies and procedures,” you’re likely trying to do two things at once: reduce workplace risk and meet legal requirements. This guide explains what a safety and health policy at workplace should include, how to turn it into practical procedures, and which compliance obligations (like OSHA rules and required postings) often get overlooked—especially by growing employers.

For broader context on overall workplace legal obligations, see SwiftSDS’s overview of compliance in the workplace and the foundational definitions in define workplace safety.

What “health and safety policies and procedures” means in compliance terms

A work health safety policy (also called an OHS policy or safety and health policy at workplace) is your organization’s high-level commitment to prevent injuries and illness. Safety policies and procedures are the step-by-step rules and controls that make that policy real (training, hazard reporting, lockout/tagout, PPE requirements, incident investigation, etc.).

From a legal standpoint, health and safety compliance typically requires you to:

Identify and control hazards (physical, chemical, ergonomic, psychosocial)
Train employees on safe work practices
Maintain required records (injuries/illnesses, training, inspections)
Communicate rights and responsibilities (often through required labor law notices)
Monitor and enforce the program consistently

If you also manage safety communications like posters and notices, SwiftSDS’s compliance poster service can help keep required postings current as laws change.

Key laws and standards that drive health and safety compliance

OSHA (federal) and “general duty” expectations

Most private-sector employers in the U.S. are regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA standards. Even when a specific standard doesn’t exist for a hazard, the OSHA General Duty Clause expects employers to provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards” that may cause death or serious harm.

Actionable takeaway: Build your OHS policy and procedures around hazard identification, controls, and training—even for risks not named in a specific OSHA standard.

State-plan states and location-specific requirements

Many states operate OSHA-approved “state plans” with rules that can be more stringent than federal OSHA. Posting and notice requirements can also vary by state and sometimes by city/county.

To check the labor law posting rules that often tie into broader compliance programs, start with:

Employee communication and right-to-know rules

Workplace safety programs frequently overlap with “right-to-know” and hazard communication requirements (for example, chemical hazards, labeling, and access to safety information). A strong employee communication process supports training compliance and reduces incidents.

For a deeper dive into right-to-know principles and why they matter, see employee right to know.

What a compliant safety and health policy at workplace should include

A well-written OHS policy is short, specific, and assignable. Include the following sections:

1) Statement of commitment and scope

A plain-language commitment to preventing injuries/illnesses
Scope (employees, temps, contractors, visitors; all sites/operations)

2) Roles and responsibilities (named, not vague)

Senior leadership: resources, accountability, review cadence
Managers/supervisors: enforcement, coaching, reporting
Employees: follow procedures, report hazards, use PPE
Safety committee (if used): inspections, recommendations, tracking

Actionable tip: Add “stop-work authority” language—employees may pause unsafe work without retaliation.

3) Hazard identification and risk control framework

Spell out how hazards are identified and controlled (walkthroughs, JHAs/JSA, near-miss reporting). Reference the hierarchy of controls:

Elimination
Substitution
Engineering controls
Administrative controls
PPE (last line of defense)

4) Training and competency requirements

Define who must be trained, on what, and when:

New hire orientation and task-specific training
Refresher training triggers (new equipment, incident trend, procedure changes)
Supervisor training (incident response, coaching, documentation)

If you need a structured training baseline, see basic health and safety course.

5) Incident reporting, investigation, and corrective action

Include:

Immediate reporting requirements (injury, near miss, property damage)
Investigation steps (root cause analysis, not blame)
Corrective action tracking (owner, due date, verification)

6) Enforcement, discipline, and non-retaliation

A compliant program is enforced consistently. Also emphasize non-retaliation for reporting hazards/injuries.

7) Review and continuous improvement

Annual review at minimum
Review after serious incidents, regulatory changes, or operational changes
Document revisions and communicate updates

To align safety rules with broader people practices, it can help to cross-reference your handbook framework in HR policies and procedures.

Essential safety policies and procedures to implement (with concrete steps)

Below are common procedures that support industrial safety compliance and day-to-day work health safety compliance.

Hazard reporting procedure (simple, fast, documented)

Implement:

A standard form (paper or digital)
Anonymous reporting option where feasible
Triage rules (what requires immediate stop-work vs. scheduled fix)
A log with status updates and closure verification

PPE policy and issuance procedure

Implement:

Task-based PPE matrix (required PPE by job/activity)
Fit testing/selection rules where needed (e.g., respirators per OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard)
Replacement schedule and employee sign-off for issued PPE

Chemical safety / hazard communication procedure

Implement:

Chemical inventory per site
Labeling checks
Access to SDS and training on how to read them
Documented onboarding training for exposed roles

This is where “right-to-know” processes matter—see employee right to know.

Drug and alcohol policy (safety-sensitive alignment)

Certain industries and roles require stricter controls due to safety risk. Even when not mandated, a clear policy helps support incident prevention and consistent enforcement.

For a compliance overview, reference drug free workplace act.

Workplace violence and harassment-related procedures

Harassment and unsafe behavior can become safety risks, increase turnover, and trigger legal exposure. Your reporting and investigation procedures should be consistent across safety and HR concerns.

See harassment in the workplace laws to align reporting, investigation timelines, and anti-retaliation protections.

Posting, notices, and documentation: often-missed parts of health and safety compliance

Health and safety programs don’t stand alone—required notices and postings are part of proving you communicate employee rights and legal requirements.

Federal notice example (wage & hour poster)

Many employers must post the FLSA minimum wage notice:

Even though wage & hour is not “safety,” failure to post required notices is a common compliance gap identified during broader audits.

Massachusetts examples (state-specific notices)

If you operate in Massachusetts, you may need additional postings tied to workplace protections and employee notices, such as:

Actionable tip: Treat postings as a controlled “document set” with an owner, review frequency, and version tracking—just like safety procedures.

Quick implementation checklist (practical next steps)

Assign ownership: Name a program owner and backup for the OHS policy and procedures.
Map your hazards: Conduct a baseline hazard assessment per site/department.
Write the policy: One page if possible—commitment, roles, reporting, enforcement.
Build core procedures: hazard reporting, PPE, incident investigation, training, chemical safety.
Train and document: Track attendance, materials, and competency verification.
Audit monthly/quarterly: Inspections + corrective action closure metrics.
Confirm posting compliance: Validate requirements using your jurisdiction page (start at Federal (United States) Posting Requirements).

FAQ: health and safety policies and procedures

What’s the difference between a health and safety policy and procedures?

A policy is the organization’s overall commitment and expectations (the “what” and “why”). Procedures are the detailed steps people follow (the “how”), including forms, training steps, and enforcement.

Do small businesses need an OHS policy?

Often yes in practice, even when not explicitly required as a standalone document. OSHA expectations still apply, and a written work health safety policy helps demonstrate training, hazard controls, and consistent enforcement—key elements in health and safety compliance.

How often should we review safety policies and procedures?

Review at least annually and whenever you have a serious incident, introduce new equipment/processes, expand to a new location, or when laws change. If you operate across states, confirm updates using the relevant posting requirement pages (e.g., California (CA) Posting Requirements or Ohio (OH) Labor Law Posting Requirements).

If you want to strengthen your program beyond the basics (especially for multi-site operations), consider building role-based competency plans and exploring advanced credentials via environmental health and safety certification programs.