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Health and safety checklist

Want to enhance health and safety in your business? This step-by-step guide can help.

Image of young conractor wearing  safety gear

Key steps for SME success

Learning and applying good health and safety strategies can help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create a workplace that’s as safe as possible. Use Export Development Canada’s (EDC) checklist below to get started or improve your current practices.

On this page:

  • Understand your responsibilites as an employer
  • Create a health and safety program
  • Put your commitment into practice
  • Set goals and monitor your progress
  • Educate and communicate
Icon of magnifying glass and person

Step 1 

Understand your responsibilities as an employer

Are you familiar with health and safety expectations and requirements that apply to your business?

  • There should be a clear, visible and active commitment to health and safety from the company’s leaders/management.
  • Check your compliance. At a minimum, your business should meet the health and safety laws and standards for all jurisdictions in which you do business (Canada: Provincial, territorial, federal; other countries).
  • Assess global expectations. It may be helpful to be familiar with ISO 45001. It’s the first and only international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management, a result of agreed good practice from around the world. There’s a handbook to help SMEs get the most out of it. 

Resources

We recommend the following resources:

  • Health and Safety 101: EDC Guide for SMEs
  • Occupational Health and Safety Compliance by province
  • ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety

                                    

                                    

Icon of pencil and paper

Step 2 

Create a health and safety program

Has your company developed a plan of action designed to prevent incidents and occupational illness?

  • Engage your employees in workplace health and safety discussions. The best people to inform a health and safety program are your colleagues.
  • Identify workplace hazards specific to your business. For example, safety issues for a construction company will be different than for a food distributor. By understanding the risks, you’ll be better prepared to control or eliminate them. Consider your own operations and your supply chain.
  • Create a health and safety program. Key elements of a program include a health and safety policy, health and safety procedures, the responsibilities of managers and workers, and a communication system for how to report workplace incidents and illnesses. 

Resources

We recommend the following resources:

  • ISO 45001 Handbook for SMEs
  • CCOHS: Health and Safety Program - General Elements
  • BDC article: How you can improve productivity through better health and safety practices
  • Infrastructure Health & Safety Association: Helpful resources to create a health and safety program

                                    

                                    

Icon of person on computer with checkboxes

Step 3 

Put your commitment into practice

Operationalizing your health and safety program and policy is a critical step—and requirement—to creating a healthy and safe environment.

  • Select a health and safety representative or committee. The size of your business dictates whether you require an individual or committee of employees.
  • Provide training to supervisors, workers and health and safety representatives on basic health and safety awareness, plus additional training to address job-specific hazards in the workplace. 
  • Develop written and visual materials that outline your program and commitment to workplace health and safety. These may include: 

* A health and safety manual 
* A health and safety at work poster 
* A copy of the health and safety act of your province or territory (or the Canada Labour Code for workplaces designated under federal jurisdiction 
* Your health and safety policy, workplace violence policy and workplace harassment policy 
* Emergency procedures/exit plans 
* First aid and first aid contacts  
* How to report incidents

Resources

We recommend the following resources:

  • ISO 45001 Handbook for SMEs
  • Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
  • Infrastructure Health & Safety Association: Tools and resources for various industries

                                    

                                    

Icon of clipboard

Step 4

Set goals and monitor progress

It’s nearly impossible to create a workplace that’s 100% safe with zero incidents. Your health and safety objectives should be to create a workplace that’s as safe as possible. Only you and your employees can determine what that looks like.

  • Establish specific health and safety goals for your workplace such as which hazards and risks you want to reduce.
  • Set a timeframe to reach your goals.
  • Monitor and measure your safety performance on a regular basis. Possible activities can include regular inspections and site audits of workplace safety programs, and materials and equipment to ensure they’re reliable, effective and meet your company’s safety goals and standards. Incorporate corrective actions. Review key performance indicators such as leading indicators and lagging indicators (% of employees trained, number of inspections vs. total recordable injury ratio). 

Resources

We recommend the following resources:

  • ISO 45001 Handbook for SMEs

                                    

                                    

Icon of megaphone

Step 5

Educate and communicate

Is everyone within and outside your company aware of your health and safety efforts?

  • Educate your staff. Ensure they understand your health and safety program and how to fulfil their health and safety duties. 
  • Tell stakeholders. Promote your health and safety actions to your customers, partners and investors where appropriate. 

Resources

We recommend the following resources:

  • Infrastructure Health and Safety Association: Training, Orientation and Communication

                                    

Also in this series

Looking to continue this series? Check out the links below:

  • 1 of 14: Sustainability 101: Time to embed sustainability into your business?
  • 2 of 14: How to write a policy 
  • 3 of 14: Human rights 101 guide 
  • 4 of 14: Human rights checklist
  • 5 of 14: Energy efficiency 101 guide
  • 6 of 14: Energy efficiency checklist
  • 7 of 14: Waste management and pollution 101 guide 
  • 8 of 14: Waste management and pollution checklist
  • 9 of 14: Health and safety 101 guide
  • 10 of 14: Health and safety checklist (this guide)
  • 11 of 14: Sustainability management 101 guide
  • 12 of 14: Sustainability management checklist
  • 13 of 14: Business ethics 101 guide
  • 14 of 14: Business ethics checklist

Want to learn more?

Sign up for TradeInsights and stay up to date with new ESG content in this series and other EDC trade information to make smarter export decisions. 
 

Date modified: 2023-12-07

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