This material is for training purposes only to inform the reader of occupational safety and health best practices and general compliance requirements and is not a substitute for provisions of the OSH Act of 1970 or any governmental regulatory agency.
Effective Plans A Plan is a statement of how written goals and objectives are going to be accomplished. Plans describe the strategies and tactics that will be employed. There are three categories of planning:
- Strategic planning addresses long-term goals and objectives.
- Operational Planning addresses short-term goals and objectives.
- Contingency planning addresses anticipated, but unwanted changes.
- Production plans. Strategies and tactics to meet production goals and objectives.
- Method improvement plans. Procedural strategies and tactics to improve methods and performance.
- Contingency plans. Strategies and tactics for meeting goals and objectives when he unexpected occurs.
- Absence plans. Strategies and tactics for continuing in the absence of resources.
- Budget plans. Strategies and tactics, expressed in financial terms, to reach goals and objectives.
- Are plans in writing? The best plans are more likely to fail, if they are not written.
- Do safety programs include written plans? OSHA requires "written programs" in many standards. What they're referring to are actually written plans.
- Do written plans include both strategies and tactics? For instance, in the Hazard Communications Program, container labeling is one strategy (general activity) to meet the objective of the program to communicate chemical hazards. Daily inspection of container labels is a specific tactic (procedure) used to ensure containers are properly labeled.
- Are persons assigned to carry out strategies and tactics?
- Are schedules and time limits established for activities and procedures?
- Are plans reviewed and evaluated regularly?