Creating a Site-Specific Safety Plan

What Is a Site-Specific Safety Plan?

A site-specific safety plan (SSSP) is a risk management document that outlines all the procedures and safety information that site workers need to know. The goal of creating an SSSP is to reduce the number of accidents that occur on your site — ideally, to eliminate the risk of accidents completely. 

The key aspect of an SSSP is its specificity. Each site is different in its day-to-day operations and hazards. If your organization operates across multiple sites, then you'd have to create a new plan for each site. 

According to OSHA, having an SSSP isn't a national requirement, but it can help keep you out of trouble if something were to go wrong on your site. Some states, organizations and general contractors may also require an SSSP to be in place before work can begin. Check work safety legislation at the local and state level to learn more about the rules that may apply to your site.

How to Create a Site-Specific Safety Plan

Developing an SSSP is a long process — you have to evaluate your operation from a broad view and narrow it down to its most specific elements. However, the process is well worth the time and effort involved.

An excellent place to start is with the people who will be most affected by the plan's implementation. We've outlined the following process to get you started:

1. Involve Your Stakeholders

Getting input from owners, project designers and other stakeholders is essential to creating your SSSP. You should also make sure to speak to project managers, as one or more of these parties may choose to alter the parameters or scope of the work.

2. Consult Contractors and Subcontractors

Once you've gotten feedback from your vital stakeholders, it's time to consult with the people you'll cover in your SSSP — your contractors and subcontractors. 

These individuals can provide the most direct feedback on your plan since they're the ones who will have to follow it. As a result, taking their input seriously is crucial to creating an effective SSSP.

3. Identify Site-Specific Hazards

Physically examine the site to find all potential hazards. You'll use this information for the hazard analysis section of your SSSP, so make sure to be thorough in your assessment.

Here are some questions you can use to guide yourself through the identification process:

• What could go wrong?
• What are the potential consequences of an accident?
• How could the accident happen?
• Are there any other contributing factors?
• How likely is this situation?

4. Establish Severe Weather Protocols

Planning for bad weather is essential to keeping projects on track. Start by defining the conditions that would necessitate a suspension of work — conditions that would be dangerous to work in even when precautions are taken. Then, determine what conditions are still safe for work.

Additionally, you need to establish contingency plans for storing loose and hazardous materials when bad weather occurs. Strong winds and heavy rain can cause materials to be swept off open sites and into the environment, where it can cause severe damage. 

5. Be Specific

SSSP templates are widely available online, but you should only use them as an outline when you're writing your plan. After all, every construction site is different, so each site needs to take a different approach to safety. Many plans fail simply because they're too general in the information they present. 

It's also insufficient to write down regulations and industry standards without describing how they apply to your site. For example, OSHA has rules concerning fall protection equipment. If falls are a hazard for your operation, it would be helpful to relate this information to the specific falls on your site. 

Add and remove sections so that the plan makes sense for your site, but you should still include the components listed in the next section of this guide, as they're crucial to any SSSP.

What Should a Site-Specific Safety Plan Include?

You should include a variety of information to protect workers at every level, in addition to your subcontractors and any visitors to your site. It's also crucial to consider anything that could pose a risk to pedestrians as they walk past your workplace. 

Every SSSP should begin with the basics: the project's name and location, a description and diagram of the project, site entry and exit points, and the names of all subcontractors covered by the plan.

1. Common Site Hazards

In this section, you should list all the hazards you identified in the last step. If the site has undergone previous work, make sure to mention that and all the hazards that may have remained after the completion of that job. 

2. Safety Chain of Command

Include contact information for safety representatives, subcontractors, general contractors, and the staffing agency. Additionally, explain who is most appropriate to call for each type of issue. This information is extremely useful in emergencies when time is of the essence and lives may be at stake. 

That's why you need to make sure your SSSP is detailed and well-organized — employees will refer to it when things happen, so they should be able to find the right information quickly.

3. Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines

On many sites, the personal protective equipment (PPE) an employee may need can vary from area to area. Make sure to thoroughly outline when, how and where employees should wear PPE on your site. For example, you should detail every area on your site where employees must wear hard hats.

It can also be helpful to create a list of the minimum PPE for the entire site. This list will provide a universal baseline for employees to contribute to your overall safety culture.

4. Site Safety Rules and Standards

This section is where you'll list the normal standards for conducting work on your site. Example topics include:

• Fall protection. 
• Heavy equipment operation.
• Hot work.
• Power tool usage.
• Trenching and excavation protocol.
• Respiratory protection.
• Lockout and tag-out procedures.

Once you've listed the standards, make sure you explain how each standard can be applied to your site.

5. Competent and Qualified Persons

One of the most specific sections you may wish to include is a list of individuals who are competent and qualified in handling certain equipment or materials. 

OSHA defines a qualified person as one who has completed sufficient training or education to handle the task at hand. Similarly, according to OSHA, a competent person is someone who has the authority to identify and eliminate hazards relating to the job.

An easy way to lay this section out is to create a three-column table. One column will contain the tasks that require extra training, and the second column will list the employees who are qualified to use those materials. The last column will contain the type of qualifications they have to perform work related to those materials or tasks.

6. Task-Specific Hazard Analysis

A task-specific hazard analysis, or job hazard analysis, is a crucial section in any SSSP. This section will include information on all hazards related to a specific job or task, combined with details on how the risk can be mitigated by employees performing this task.

The following definitions are helpful for creating this section:

• Hazard: Anything that poses a potential risk for employees. For example, an unsupervised open flame is a fire hazard.
• Accident: An unintended incident that could result in severe consequences. Keeping with the fire hazard example, brushing against an open flame while walking past it is an accident.
• Injury: The result of an accident, like burns or blisters. 

Using those definitions, we can now complete this section:

1. Define: Outline the nature and scope of the job or task. 
2. Identify hazards: Create a list of all the hazards associated with the job or task. Make sure you focus on the hazards present in this job rather than any potential accidents or injuries that can occur — listing these consequences can make this section less clear. 
3. Explain controls: Provide detailed information about controlling the hazards you listed in the previous step. The exact controls you need to include will depend on the nature of your project, your company's policies and input from your safety representatives.

7. Presence and Location of Hazardous Materials

If your project requires the use of hazardous or potentially toxic materials like asbestos or arsenic, make sure to take note of where they are stored and their instructions for use. 

Explain the following in detail:

• Storage methods and locations
• Safe handling procedures
• Required PPE
• Risks associated with improper handling

Additionally, you should include material safety data sheets (MSDS) for each material you use in your project. This data informs all individuals involved with your project about the hazards and risks associated with those substances. 

8. First Aid and CPR Protocol

Identify the location of all first aid equipment on site, including first aid kits and defibrillators. Make sure to outline the proper procedures for using this equipment. 

You should include any employees who have received CPR or other medical training in your Competent and Qualified Persons section. OSHA recommends that every workplace has at least one employee who is trained and certified in first aid, which includes CPR.

9. Incident Reporting Procedures

Explain when and how employees or subcontractors should report accidents and safety violations. Putting this process down in writing can help employees in case they forget what to do in the face of an emergency.

For example, you'll want to define the method of reporting. Note whether you require employees to submit written complaints, report issues verbally to a supervisor or both. You'll also want to write down where employees should be turning for help — should they speak to their direct supervisors, or is it better for them to reach out to a safety representative? 

Lastly, make sure to describe what an employee should expect after reporting — whether a safety rep will reach out to them and if they will need to be present at further meetings.

10. Emergency Procedures and Hospital Identification

While an effective risk management strategy can significantly reduce the risk of injuries, a construction site will always pose some risk to its employees. It's best to be prepared for any injuries that may occur on your site. While having first aid-qualified employees onsite can help treat more minor injuries, you should outline important procedures for more severe injuries to be on the safe side. 

A crucial part of this section is information about the nearest hospital — you should include its location, contact information and directions to get there in case you need to transport an employee to the emergency room. 

11. Disciplinary Action

In this section, you should clearly outline your company's procedure for taking disciplinary action against employees. Your operation should already have a disciplinary action policy in place, but it can help to include a copy in your SSSP.

This section should also explain what actions constitute disciplinary action — for example, improperly handling power tools or storing hazardous materials incorrectly. 

You should include disciplinary action that could be taken in the event of a near miss or a close call, too. Always pay attention to near misses because they often happen before someone gets hurt. 

Emphasizing the importance of close calls can help improve your site's safety culture and climate, which refers to your operation's safety policies and principles and how they translate into a real working environment. By building a positive safety culture, you can encourage your employees to speak up when something is wrong, which can significantly increase the overall safety of your site.

12. Inspection Documentation

Documentation is an integral part of any management plan. Make sure you answer the following in this section:

• Who will inspect your site? 
• How often will inspections occur?
• What should workers expect to happen during an inspection?

You also need to keep documentation of all outside inspections and incidents. This information will help you prepare for future inspections. It can provide further insight into how to increase safety on your site as well.

13. Personnel Acknowledgement

This section is where you'll have employees verify that they have read and reviewed your SSSP. It's just like the signature section you would include at the end of an employee handbook. 

The purpose of this section is to demonstrate that the signee has read the SSSP, understands and is committed to knowing the information contained within it. It can also come into play if legal disputes occur because it will serve as proof that the employee has been made aware of your site's safety rules and regulations.

Extra Tips for Creating a Site-Specific Safety Plan

No matter how thorough your SSSP is, you need employee buy-in for it to make practical sense. Here are some extra tips for getting the most out of your site-specific safety plan:

Take Your Time

An SSSP is a complicated document, so you need to make sure you're giving it enough time and care. When you're examining your site for hazards, for example, you want to be thorough. Assuming that each area of your site resembles the others in terms of their hazards and safety requirements can be dangerous, as you'll miss important hazards unique to certain areas. 

Conduct Regular Safety Meetings

Safety meetings, also known as toolbox talks, are great for effectively implementing a safety plan. Through these meetings, you can keep important safety concepts and guidelines fresh in everyone's mind, which can improve work on your site. 

Make these meetings mandatory for other contractors and subcontractors, but also make sure to open them up to all employees on the project. That way, you'll get information about the conditions your employees face daily, which is incredibly valuable information. Plus, your employees will know that you value their feedback, which goes a long way toward improving employee loyalty and morale.

Train Your Staff 

You could have the most comprehensive SSSP in the industry, but if your staff misunderstands it, there's still a high risk that accidents can occur. Conduct regular safety training sessions to ensure all employees are up to date — depending on the type of work you are performing, it can help to consult a professional service to lead these sessions. 

For example, Caterpillar Safety Services offers training sessions in multiple aspects of safety, from safety fundamentals to at-home safety. Working with a professional service like Caterpillar can ensure your employees receive complete, comprehensive training that will adequately prepare them for work. 

Hold Everyone Accountable

You should always make sure all employees are following the rules you set out in your plan. Your safety guidelines only matter as long as your team actively follows them — when employees notice that others are breaking rules, they are more likely to follow suit.

If possible, include compliance with your safety plan as a condition of your organization's employment contract. Doing so can help to increase the chances that your employees will follow your rules closely. 

Update the Plan as Necessary

Every phase of the project will bring different hazards. While you can leave more general sections untouched, you will need to complete new job hazard analyses every time you shift into a new phase. 

Facilitate Effective Communication

Different parts of your operation need to be able to communicate their needs to each other for your safety plan to work. For example, if it's difficult for supervisors to get in touch with your safety team, your safety reps may be left unaware of potential onsite risks. Creating and maintaining efficient communication channels is essential to keeping workers safe on the job.

Respond to Safety Complaints

Any time one of your team members reports a safety violation or potential hazard, take their report seriously. Investigate the violation and add it to your SSSP if necessary. 

Listening to your employees is key to improving your safety culture, as these are the individuals who will suffer if accidents happen. Taking their feedback into genuine consideration shows that you care about their safety, which can boost participation in your organization's safety culture. 

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