Safety Precautions in the Workplace: Practical Safety Measures That Support Compliance
If you’re searching for safety precautions that actually reduce incidents and help you meet workplace compliance expectations, start with this: employers need clear safety procedures, consistent training, and documented safety protocols that match the hazards of the job—not generic “rules safety” posters that no one follows. This guide breaks down actionable safety points HR and business owners can implement, while tying them to key legal and posting requirements SwiftSDS helps you manage.
For foundational context on what “workplace safety” covers, see SwiftSDS’s guide to define workplace safety and the broader compliance hub on compliance in the workplace.
Why safety precautions are a compliance priority (not just best practice)
Workplace safety requirements come from multiple sources, including federal OSHA rules (and state OSHA plans), workers’ compensation/industrial accident rules, wage-and-hour posting rules, and anti-discrimination/harassment obligations. While the exact duties vary by industry and location, most employers are expected to:
- Identify hazards and reduce risk using proven safety measures
- Train employees on job-specific safety procedures
- Provide required protective equipment and enforce safety protocols
- Maintain records (injuries/illnesses, training, inspections) where required
- Post mandatory notices so employees know their rights and reporting paths
From a risk standpoint, effective workplace safety for employees reduces injuries, absenteeism, and claim costs. From a compliance standpoint, it helps demonstrate due diligence if a regulator investigates or an incident leads to a claim.
Core safety protocols every employer should implement
1) Hazard assessment and controls (the “hierarchy of controls”)
A strong safety program starts by identifying hazards and controlling them in this order:
- Elimination (remove the hazard)
- Substitution (replace with a safer option)
- Engineering controls (guards, ventilation, barriers)
- Administrative controls (policies, scheduling, training)
- PPE (gloves, eye protection, respirators)
Actionable safety points:
- Do a documented walk-through per department (office, warehouse, field).
- List hazards by task (lifting, chemicals, driving, repetitive motion).
- Assign an owner and due date for each control.
- Reassess after process changes, new equipment, or near misses.
When employees handle chemicals, hazard communication and “right-to-know” training become essential; SwiftSDS’s overview of employee right to know can help you align training and communication.
2) Written safety procedures and a health and safety policy
A written health and safety policy is the backbone of consistent safety measures. It should define responsibilities, reporting, enforcement, and how to access procedures.
Include:
- A safety reporting process (including anonymous options if feasible)
- Incident/near-miss reporting steps and response timelines
- Stop-work authority for imminent hazards
- Discipline policy for repeated violations (fair and consistent)
- Training requirements by role and frequency
For policy structure and what to include, reference SwiftSDS’s guide on health and safety policies and procedures.
3) Training, supervision, and documentation
Training is where many programs fail—especially when onboarding is rushed.
Practical safety procedures for training:
- Onboarding: role hazards, emergency actions, PPE use, reporting rules safety
- Supervisor training: how to enforce safety protocols consistently
- Refresher training: annual or when duties/equipment change
- Language access: provide training in languages employees understand
Documentation tips:
- Maintain sign-in sheets or LMS completion records
- Keep copies of written procedures issued to staff
- Track corrective actions and retraining after incidents
OSHA expects training to be understandable and job-specific; documentation helps show you delivered it.
4) Incident response, reporting, and investigations
Safety precautions don’t end when something goes wrong. Your response affects employee trust and legal exposure.
Safety measures to standardize:
- First aid/medical response steps and designated responders
- Incident reporting within the same shift where possible
- Root-cause investigation (not blame-focused)
- Corrective action tracking and follow-up verification
In some states, workers’ comp rules also require specific notices. For example, Massachusetts employers must post the Department of Industrial Accidents Notice to Employees, which supports employee awareness of injury reporting and benefits.
Office safety tips: safety precautions for lower-hazard workplaces
Many organizations underestimate office risks. Common causes of injury include slips, trips, falls, poor ergonomics, and electrical hazards.
Actionable office safety tips:
- Keep walkways clear; enforce “no cords across aisles”
- Use non-slip mats in entryways; clean spills immediately
- Perform ergonomic evaluations for high-computer-use roles
- Store heavy items at waist height; avoid overhead overloading
- Use step stools—no standing on chairs
- Maintain first aid supplies and emergency contact lists
For more detail, see SwiftSDS’s Office safety resource.
Safety precautions tied to specific compliance requirements
OSHA and general duty expectations
Even when a specific OSHA standard doesn’t exist for a hazard, employers can still be cited under the General Duty Clause (providing a workplace free from recognized serious hazards). That’s why hazard assessments, training, and enforcement matter.
Workplace postings and employee notice requirements
Many safety and wage-and-hour requirements include mandatory notices. While not all “workplace safety” is addressed via posters, compliance posting is still a key audit item.
- For federal requirements, review Federal (United States) Posting Requirements.
- Federal wage-and-hour notices like Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (and the Spanish version Derechos de los Trabajadores… (FLSA)) should be posted when applicable.
If your workforce is location-based, posting needs can change dramatically by state and city. For example, employers with a Boston site should check Boston, Suffolk County, MA Posting Requirements. Multi-state employers should also review state pages like California (CA) Posting Requirements and New York (NY) Posting Requirements.
To simplify poster tracking and updates, many organizations use a managed compliance poster service as part of their broader safety procedures.
Public sector example: Massachusetts workplace safety notice
Massachusetts has a specific required notice for certain public employees: Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Protection for Public Employees. If you support public-sector sites (or entities treated as public employers), confirm whether this posting applies.
Drug and harassment policies as safety protocols
Safety precautions also include preventing impairment, violence, and misconduct that create foreseeable hazards.
- If you maintain substance-use policies or operate under federal contractor rules, review SwiftSDS guidance on the drug free workplace act.
- A safe workplace includes freedom from harassment and intimidation; align your training and reporting pathways with harassment in the workplace laws, especially where state training mandates exist.
A simple checklist of workplace safety precautions (ready to implement)
Use this as a baseline set of safety points to assign owners and deadlines:
- Hazard assessment completed for each department/task
- Written health and safety policy issued and acknowledged
- Role-based training delivered; refresher cadence defined
- PPE needs assessed; PPE provided and enforced
- Emergency action plan: evacuation routes, alarms, drills
- First aid readiness: supplies stocked; responders designated
- Incident reporting + investigation process documented and used
- Contractor/visitor safety rules safety defined (sign-in + briefings)
- Required postings verified for each location and workforce type
- Quarterly inspections with corrective action tracking
For examples you can model by industry and scenario, review health and safety in the workplace examples.
FAQ: Safety precautions and workplace compliance
What are the most important safety precautions for workplace safety?
The most effective safety precautions are: (1) identifying hazards, (2) controlling them using the hierarchy of controls, (3) training employees on job-specific safety procedures, and (4) enforcing safety protocols consistently. Strong reporting and investigation practices keep the system improving.
Do small businesses need a written health and safety policy?
Often, yes in practice—even if a specific statute doesn’t mandate a formal manual for your industry. A written health and safety policy helps prove training, consistency, and compliance with OSHA expectations, and it reduces confusion about rules safety, reporting, and responsibilities.
Are workplace posters part of safety compliance?
They can be. Many jurisdictions require specific labor law and employee rights notices, and some locations have safety-related postings. Requirements vary by location, so use the appropriate posting requirements pages (for example, Federal (United States) Posting Requirements or California (CA) Posting Requirements) and ensure you post the correct versions for your workforce.
Safety precautions work best when they’re treated as operational controls—not one-time training. SwiftSDS helps employers connect day-to-day workplace safety for employees with the compliance requirements that apply to each location, role, and notice obligation.