Regularly reviewing and updating your workplace health and safety program is not only a best practice; it is a legal requirement. Ongoing audits and updates strengthen due diligence, help protect workers, and reduce an employer’s exposure to liability in the event of an incident, injury or illness.

Workplace health and safety programs that are not reviewed and maintained, quickly fall behind. Legislative and regulatory requirements change, workplace processes evolve, and hazards shift over time. When policies, procedures, and training no longer reflect actual work practices, worker safety is compromised and compliance gaps emerge.

A current, well-organized workplace health and safety program ensures your organization remains aligned with legal requirements and supports a safer, more efficient workplace.

 

When to Complete a Review and Refresh/Update

At a minimum, health and safety programs must be reviewed annually. However, an annual review alone may not be sufficient. A review and update should also be completed whenever:

  • Workplace processes or equipment change
  • New hazards are introduced or existing hazards are modified
  • An incident, injury, or near miss occurs
  • Legislative or regulatory changes affect policies or procedures
  • Workforce size or job roles change

Each of these situations impacts your risk profile and highlights the need for an effective health and safety management system. For many organizations, the most common and ideal time to complete a full review is at the end or beginning of a year, This allows a fresh start with an updated and compliant health and safety program.

 

Legislative Requirements

The Occupational Health and Safety Act outlines clear requirements for reviewing and maintaining workplace health and safety programs, including:

  • Section 25(2)(j) – The employer shall prepare and review at least annually a written occupational health and safety policy and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy.
  • Section 32.0.1(1) – An employer shall prepare and review a policy with respect to workplace violence and workplace harassment as often as necessary, but at least annually.

 

What’s Involved

Updating a workplace health and safety program involves more than changing dates on policies. A meaningful review requires examining how your workplace actually operates and ensures documentation, training, and practices align with current conditions.

Key components include:

Hazard Assessment

A hazard assessment identifies current hazards in the workplace and evaluates whether existing controls remain effective. As workplaces evolve, hazards change. New equipment, layout changes, streamlined processes or updated regulations may introduce new risks or require additional control measures.

Program Review

Policies and procedures must reflect current legislation, standards and workplace practices. Laws and standards change regularly, and assuming compliance without verification is a costly risk.

If your documentation does not match how work is performed, compliance gaps exist, increasing the likelihood of enforcement actions and liability issues.

Training Review

Training must be reviewed to ensure it remains current, effective, and compliant. This includes verifying that required training is completed, certifications have not expired, and workers are trained on updated procedures, equipment and/or hazards.

Action Planning and Continuous Improvement

Any gaps identified during a review should be documented in a clear action plan. A strong action plan outlines:

  • Identified gaps:
  • Required corrective actions
  • Assigned responsibilities
  • Timelines for completion
  • Sign-off to confirm completion

Tracking progress demonstrates due diligence and ensures corrective actions are completed and maintained.

Final Thoughts
This overview provides a starting point. Workplace health and safety audits can be detailed and vary significantly depending on the workplace, industry, and risk profile. If you do not have the internal resources or expertise to complete a thorough review, working with a consultant such as myself, can help ensure every component of your program is properly assessed and updated.

Prevent potential fines or non-compliance issues ahead of time by addressing gaps before they before problems. Prevention is always better than reaction! If you require assistance with reviewing and/or updating your workplace safety program, please contact me to discuss your needs.

 

Remember: Prevent, not React. At Sooley’s Safety Services, that’s what we do.