Safety Links :: FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions ::
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Q: Should I enrol in Plan A or Plan B?
| • Plan A is known as “Knowledge, Tools plus Continuous Improvement” because it is focused around continuous improvements and the audit process. Builders, General Contractors, Large contractors and firms in general industry (i.e manufacturing, printing, hotels, etc..) would likely get the most out of this plan. |
•
Plan B on the other hand does not include the
audit component and therefore is known as “Knowledge and Tools”.
This plan was specifically geared towards the provision of training
and resources to help the Partners with their safety issues. This
plan would be a good option for insurance companies, employee leasing
companies, small construction companies, small sub-contractors,
and small firms in general industry (i.e manufacturing, printing,
hotels, etc..) |
Q: I do not have a formal safety program. What do I do?
•
For “Safety Partners” who do not have an existing safety
program, Safety Links has developed an easy to follow guide entitled
the “Safety Fundamentals”. This guide provides a step-by-step
action plan and provides real world examples. |
•
This plan starts by having at least one full time employee (typically
the company owner, manager, or safety program administrator) attend
the Safety Fundamentals© course. |
•
At that time the attendees will be provided with the materials and
resources needed to successfully develop a company specific health
and safety system for their organization. |
•
The goal of the Safety Fundamentals© course is not to create
a “Safety Manual”; the goal is to create business systems
that can be used to manage safety on a day to day basis! |
Q: I already have a formal safety program. How can I make it better?
•
Safety Links has developed an easy to follow self evaluation checklist
that each Safety Partner can use to measure the completeness of
their existing safety management system(s). |
•
This self evaluation can be used to pinpoint areas that require
additional attention, in addition to being used to measure readiness
for the external Certificate of Safety Recognition audit. |
•
After conducting the self evaluation, the “Safety Partners”
who have a formal safety program can either challenge the CSR audit,
or can use the many Safety Partnership resources available to them
to further improve their systems. |
Q: What is the purpose of continuous improvement and third party audits?
•
To encourage continuous improvement in their safety program and
to gain external recognition many Safety Partners have chosen to
participate in Plan A (Knowledge and Tools
and Continuous Improvement). |
•
Plan A uses an audit that is very similar to an ISO 9000 or 14000
audit except the auditor is focusing solely on safety management
practices. Our audit is based on OHSA 18000 and ANSI Z10 Safety
Management principles. |
•
It is important to note that the purpose of these audits are to
benchmark and ultimately make recommendations for improvement of
your internal safety operations. All results are kept confidential.
After your first audit you will realize how valuable the process
is to continuously improving your safety performance. |
Q: What is a CSR?
•
CSR is short for Certificate of Safety Recognition. Companies who
implement and manage an effective health and safety program will
receive a CSR from the Safety Partnership. |
•
Companies, who receive this certificate, will receive public recognition
in addition to the potential for preferential bidding treatment
from their customers. |
•
For companies in General Industry (I.e. not construction) we can
also work with you to get federally recognized through one of OSHA’s
Voluntary protection programs. |
Q: Why do I need a CSR?
•
The CSR is not something that you need however it is what the CSR
represents that is needed. The CSR is provided to companies who
have successfully implemented a safety management system. |
•
Essentially the CSR is a tool used to recognize your company for
the hard work and commitment to implementing effective safety systems.
|
Q: Is it true that some builders and General Contractors are requiring membership in the Safety Partnership or even a CSR?
•
Yes. The Safety Partnership has proven to be a very valuable tool
for the construction industry and many residential and light constructors
are requiring participation while some are even requiring a CSR.
|
•
In any case obtaining a CSR will help keep your customers happy
while at the same time improving your marketability for new contracts.
|
Q: What does it take to earn a CSR?
•
Earning a CSR is not an impossible task for any company large or
small. It does however require strong commitment so that you can
successfully develop and implement a health and safety system throughout
your company. |
•
Afterwards you must pass a third-party (external) audit to ensure
your system is operational. |
Q: What are the benefits of having a CSR?
•
There are numerous benefits to achieving a CSR. First, effective
safety management systems have been shown to have a drastic impact
on reducing injuries and costs for employers. As your safety program
continues to reduce injures, your workers compensation insurance
experience modifier can be drastically reduced. Depending on the
size of your company, the reduction of this modifier can save thousands
and even hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. |
•
Second, once your company implements an effective safety program
that meets or exceeds the Safety Partnership requirements, you will
be entitled to a 2% discount on your workers compensation insurance
premiums. If you are not already doing so, your safety coach will
assist you in obtaining this discount. |
•
Third, once your company achieves a CSR you can expect preferential
treatment from many of your customers. This preferential treatment
can range from waiving non-compliance fines, to simply being permitted
to bid on future projects. The level of preferential treatment is
dependent upon each member company; however, achieving and maintaining
a valid CSR may be required for bidding on contracts for some General
Contractors. |
Q: What is a basic health and safety management system?
•
The content and depth of a health and safety management system can
vary, depending on the size and type of company; however, the building
blocks of an effective safety program can be broken down into the
following eight elements...
|
Q: What is an audit?
•
I admit, when I hear the word audit I also become a little concerned.
The CSR audit however is not a negative experience. The audit is
simply a tool used to help benchmark and ultimately improve your
internal safety operations. |
•
The scope of the audit covers the 8 basic elements of a health and
safety management system and will include personnel interviews,
documentation review and workplace observations. • After the audit is complete you will receive a confidential audit report with recommendations for continuous improvement. |
Q: What do we use to conduct the audit?
•
Safety Links has developed a comprehensive audit instrument specifically
for the Safety Partnership. The audit is based on the principles
of numerous audit documents including OSHA’s VPP, OSHA 18000,
and ANSI Z-10.
|
Q: How long does an audit take to complete?
•
The length of time it takes to complete an audit depends upon the
size, complexity and scope of operations to be audited. For example,
an employer with a single operational site may only take 1 day to
audit. The time involved will increase with the number of employees
to be interviewed, number and complexity of operations to be reviewed
and the geographic scope of the employer’s operations. |
Q: How long is a CSR good for?
•
The CSR will be valid for 1 year from the date of issue, providing
that all maintenance requirements are met. To maintain a CSR, an
employer is required to carry out a maintenance audit every 12 months.
|
Q: How do I keep my company’s CSR valid?
•
Employers are expected to maintain their health and safety management
system at all times, and to comply with applicable Safety Legislation.
Significant infractions or complaints may result in a requirement
for further audits of an employer’s health and safety management
system to maintain the validity of the employer’s CSR. |
Q: How do I renew the CSR?
•
The employer must arrange for their CSR audit at least 30 days prior
to the expiration date of their current CSR. See Link :: Click
Here :: |
Q: How long does it take to get my CSR after the audit is completed?
•
To qualify for a CSR the completed audit report (including audit
instrument and auditor notes) will be reviewed for quality assurance.
The quality assurance review process will take a varying length
of time, depending upon the complexity and size of the audit being
reviewed and the workload. An employer should anticipate a period
of approximately 5 days between the submission of the audit report
and the issuance of the CSR. |
Q: How fast can a company achieve a CSR if they have nothing in place?
•
Within six months of initially enrolling in the Safety Partnership,
it is possible to develop and implement an effective safety management
system that meets the CSR requirements. Of course many companies
that already have a safety program in place may simply require the
audit. |
Q: Is there a deadline to achieve a CSR?
•
If you are enrolled in Plan A of the Safety
Partnership it should be your goal to achieve a Level 1 audit within
18 months of enrolment. Afterwards you should easily be able to
progress to level 2 within the next 12 months. If for some reason
you cannot achieve this time line contact your Safety Coach for
assistance and an extension. |
| • Achieving the Level 3 CSR is optional but highly recommended for companies that want to achieve a higher level of safety performance. |
Q: Will the safety program I develop using the Safety Partnership resources enable me to get the 2% Florida Workers Compensation discount?
• Once your company implements an effective safety program
that meets or exceeds the Safety Partnership requirements, you will
be entitled to this discount. If you are not already doing so, your
safety coach will assist you in this matter. |
Q: If I do not have a CSR do I have to enroll in the “Safety Partnership” annually?
•
Yes! Each Safety Partner that is working towards achieving their
Certificate of Safety Recognition (CSR) must re-enroll in the program
annually. Safety Links will provide each member with a reminder
letter and invoice approximately one month before the membership
expires. |
Q: If I have a CSR do I have to enroll in the Safety Partnership annually?
•
No! Companies that have proven their ability to manage safety on
their worksites by achieving and maintaining a CSR, will not be
required to annually enroll in the Safety Partnership as long as
they maintain their annual audit requirements. |
