THE VALUE OF WRITTEN JOB DESCRIPTIONS

An individual job description describes the most important characteristics and responsibilities of a position.  An organization’s job descriptions, when viewed collectively, describe the total company structure and work systems including the safety and health management system.

You may already have written job descriptions for all the positions in your company.  This chapter will help you develop a safety and health section to add to these personnel documents and to include in your overall safety and health program.  While some small businesses do not rely on written job descriptions, we believe that written statements are preferable to oral assignments with respect to safety and health responsibilities.  Carefully written documents:

• Remove any doubt about the responsibilities and authority of each position;
• Enhance communication and coordination among jobs;
• Aid in determining whether all responsibilities have been accounted for within the organization and whether new tasks and responsibilities should be assigned; and
• Aid in developing job performance objectives and establishing performance measurements.

REVIEW THE EXISTING ORGANIZATION

Within every business there are people who should be involved in carrying out the safety and health program.  On a sheet of paper list all the positions in your business.  Use a separate sheet for each position.  (You can group similar positions later.)

DETERMINE THE SAFETY AND HEALTH ROLE OF EACH POSITION

What role do you want each position or group of positions to play in your safety and health program?  What level of authority will the person holding this position need?

While authority is built into managerial and supervisory positions, you may want to make changes specifically relating to your safety and health program.  If so, be sure you clearly state the scope of authority by showing supervisory relationships, the amount of money the position holder can spend or any other measures that describe what a person in this position can do without obtaining further approval.  At this stage do not attempt to describe in detail each job’s specific safety and health tasks.  Here are some examples of safety and health roles:

• The Owner: establishes and provides the leadership and resources for carrying out the stated company safety and health policy.
• Managers and Supervisors: maintain safe and healthful working conditions within their respective jurisdictions.
• Employees: exercise care within their work to prevent injuries to themselves and to their co-workers.
• Visitors, Vendors, Customers, and Subcontractors: comply with all safety and health regulations while on the premises.

The people with responsibility in the following areas may have some additional general duties:

• Safety: be fully responsible to the owner or manager for the direction and day-to-day operation of the safety and health policy.
• Engineering: ensure that all equipment that could affect the safety and health of employees is selected, installed and maintained in a way that eliminates or controls potential hazards.
• Purchasing: ensure that safety and health equipment and materials are purchased in a timely manner; and that new materials, parts and equipment are analyzed for potential hazards so that preventive measures or controls can be implemented; and that such materials, parts and equipment are obtained in accord with all applicable safety and health requirements.

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