Writing Business Plans for Safety

Creating business plans for safety will ensure that your employees, vendors, customers and inventory are safe at all times. Just because you don't work with dangerous chemicals or on the tops of 50-story buildings doesn't mean that there aren't workplace hazards your professional business plans should address.

According to the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business), 45 percent of small business owners do not write business plans with safety in mind. If you follow suit, you could make yourself vulnerable to lawsuits, as well as fines assessed by the state or local government. You may also leave potential investors less than impressed.

Identifying Potential Vulnerability
The first step to writing business plans for safety is to identify areas of your business that might present a danger to your employees and customers. This might include substances employees handle, high elevations where employees are expected to climb, machinery that could cause injury and structures where escape in the event of fire or flood could be difficult.

You can conduct an evaluation of your workplace, or you can hire an outside contractor to do this for you. Either way, the evaluation should include both interior and exterior areas of your business, as well as rooms where only employees are granted access.

The points of vulnerability for your professional business plans will vary depending on your industry. For example, companies that work with heavy metals or strong chemicals will have different vulnerabilities from a company that washes high-rise windows. If you aren't sure about something, join a professional organization in your industry, and seek input from fellow professionals.

Writing Your Plan
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries suggests that businesses should develop several plans to cover different areas. One plan might advise employees about fall protection while another could discuss hearing loss or respiratory protection.

Professional business plans should address the most pressing concerns first. If your safety plan does not follow some type of hierarchy, the important information can easily be lost in the back. For example, if your employees work with hazardous chemicals, a protocol should be given at the beginning of the document you prepare.

Business plans for safety should include:
Description of hazardous condition(s);
Ways in which hazard(s) are elevated;
Protective gear employees should be using;
Proper way(s) in which to wear protective gear;
Strict prohibitions against dangerous activity; and
Steps to take in the event of accident or injury.

Make sure to highlight, bold or italicize important words or phrases employees need to know. Use large-font sub-headlines that draw attention to each individual passage, and include images to help employees visualize dangerous activities or substances. The more detailed you get, the better.

Distributing Your Plan
Also think about how you will spread the message of safety to your employees. Include your safety guidelines either inside of, or as an addendum to, your employee handbook. This way, you know that all employees have seen the document. It should also be included in your professional business plans, which should be revised for changes on a regular basis.

To ensure all employees are aware of your standards, have each employee sign a copy as soon as she is hired. This provides documented proof that the employee has read your safety plan, which reduces your liability should the employee try to sue you for an accident or injury.

Important Reminders
Employers should take whatever precautions they can against workplace accidents. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by posting signs around your workplace that warn of potential hazards.

For example, signs might be posted on the doors to employees-only areas where power tools or dangerous machinery are used. This serves as a constant reminder to employees to be careful, and might even be required by law. In your professional business plans, assign each sign a code, and list where it should be posted.

Safety Considerations Involving Customers
It is important you consider all safety hazards for your employees and customers. For example, theft is always a serious concern for business owners, particularly those in the retail industry. Your professional business plans should include a protocol for dealing with robberies and burglaries in the workplace. How should employees behave during such an event? What should employees do to prevent theft?

You should also warn customers if they might be entering a hazardous zone at your place of business. Wet tile should be clearly marked, damaged products should be removed from the floor, malfunctioning equipment should be disabled and marked, and anything breakable should be kept out of reach of children.

Writing business plans for safety will make your workplace less of a hazard to others while reducing your liability. Certain precautions might even result in a decrease in insurance premiums, which can save you money. If you think you might be missing points of vulnerability, you can always hire a safety expert to assist you with the process.