Health and safety plan

• To prevent and reduce the likelihood of accidents, incidents, discomfort, strain, and long-term work-related illnesses.

• To provide a clear overview of the risks in the work environment and how they have been or will be addressed.

• To ensure that preventive measures are effective and achieve the intended results.

The workplace health and safety plan is a collaborative effort between employers, managers, and employees. Employees know their jobs best and can provide valuable insights into the risks associated with their work.

The plan must be in writing, presented clearly, and in an appropriate language so that everyone at the workplace can understand its content. It is a living document that should be continuously reviewed and adapted to any changes in the workplace.

A written health and safety plan is not just a formal document. It is a key tool for employers and managers to build a healthy workplace culture that prioritizes employee safety and well-being. Research shows that effective occupational health and safety practices bring significant benefits to employees, management, and the organization as a whole. The benefits of creating such a plan include:

• Greater safety and fewer accidents Strong preventive measures, collaboration, and shared responsibility reduce the risk of accidents, stress, and discomfort, helping ensure that everyone returns home safely at the end of the day.

• Improved well-being and job satisfaction Employees feel safer and more valued when employers prioritize their safety and well-being, making them feel heard and appreciated.

• A healthy workplace culture A supportive environment encourages open and honest communication based on mutual respect and trust.

• Increased productivity and reduced absenteeism A healthy work environment contributes to improved morale and job satisfaction.

• Positive reputation and image Workplaces that invest in the safety and well-being of their staff are more likely to attract and retain talented individuals, which in turn contributes to overall organizational success.

This step involves analyzing the work environment and examining how tasks are performed to assess the risks they may pose to employees. The first action is to map out the potential hazards that could lead to accidents, incidents, or poor well-being.

It's helpful to divide the work environment into smaller units or categorize it based on the types of tasks performed at the workplace. For example, the workplace can be divided into specific work areas, departments, task phases, or projects. It is recommended to always consider the five main aspects of occupational safety and health.

The goal is to identify anything in the work environment—including tasks or procedures—that could cause accidents, harm employee health, or lead to discomfort. Collaboration with employees is key, as they know the environment best and can point out both visible and hidden risks.

Guidelines for risk identification:

• Break the work environment into smaller units.

• Write a description for each unit (what is being done).

• Identify what risks may be associated with the work.

• Identify who might be at risk.

• Talk to employees—they are familiar with the work and environment.

Other considerations:

• Consider everyone who may be at risk, including employees, visitors, and service users.

• Pay special attention to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant individuals, young workers, older workers, foreign workers, and people with varying work abilities.

• Review available data—including attendance records, accident reports, and "near miss" incidents—as these can provide valuable insights into potential risks.

At this stage, it is necessary to assess the likelihood of the identified risks in the work environment materializing, and if they do, how severe the consequences would be. Once this is clear, the next step is to prioritize which risks need to be addressed first in step 3.

Helpful points to keep in mind:

• If the workplace is dynamic (e.g., in construction), the risk must be reassessed as the project develops.

• At the beginning of the risk assessment, define what is considered minor damage and what is considered serious harm (this helps with prioritization in step 3).

• Evaluate both short-term and long-term effects. Example: If a work process remains unchanged, it is almost certain that employees will develop musculoskeletal symptoms within two years, even if the current risk seems low.

How do we assess risk?

The method is optional, but it's helpful to evaluate risks based on two key factors the likelihood of the risk materializing in the work environment and the severity of the potential consequences. Various methods are available for risk assessment, such as color-coded systems, where colors indicate the priority level of the risk or a table or matrices that provide a clear overview of risks.

It’s helpful to adapt the method to the size and nature of the operation.

Think of risk in terms of two main variables:

Consequences: How much harm could the risk cause?

• Minor / Green

• Moderately serious / Yellow

• Very serious / Red

Likelihood: How likely is it that the risk will occur?

• Low likelihood / Green

• Medium likelihood / Yellow

• High likelihood / Red

When prioritizing actions, keep the following in mind:

• Document the risks and arrange them in a table according to severity and likelihood

• Consider whether the risk can be designed out of the work environment

• Decide which risks should be addressed (in Ssp 3) with specific preventive measures

By thoroughly reviewing and categorizing the risks, it becomes easier to make informed decisions about which preventive actions to take in step 3.

It is best to implement all necessary preventive measures immediately. However, if it becomes clear that it is not possible to address all risks at once, prioritization is essential. The most urgent action should be taken against risks that are both likely to occur and can cause severe harm, followed by others in order of severity and probability.

Once decisions have been made on what preventive actions to take and in which order, they must be documented, assigned a timeline for implementation, and a responsible person appointed to oversee their execution.

Steps to make the process easier:

• Draft a written health protection and risk prevention plan that outlines the steps needed to reduce the identified risks in the work environment.

• Set a schedule for each action, deciding when and how to address each individual risk.

• Assign responsibility for implementing preventive measures.

• Ensure communication: Define how employees will be informed about the development of the health and safety plan, the findings of the risk assessment, and the preventive measures that will be taken. The plan must be accessible to all employees and formally introduced when it is finalized.

How do we reduce risk?

The first and most preferred option is to prevent or eliminate the risk altogether — for example, by designing it out of the workplace.
If this is not possible, general preventive measures must be taken to ensure employee safety and wellbeing.
If general measures are insufficient, specific safety interventions are required.

See more under the "three levels of prevention."

Helpful considerations:

• Collect suggestions from employees about which preventive measures they believe would help reduce risk in their roles.

• If a risk can be completely eliminated — for example, through technical controls — this should always be the first option.

Templates for health and safety plan provide insights on how to carry out risk assessments at the workplace, but each workplace must find the approach that suits its operations.

Responding to bullying, harassment, and violence in the workplace:

When creating a health and safety plan, the risk of inappropriate behavior must be assessed — including bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and violence. This may relate to factors such as management practices, organizational structure, or communication culture. The plan should include both proactive and reactive measures:

• Preventive actions to avoid inappropriate behavior.

• Response procedures if such behavior occurs.

It is crucial to be familiar with the legal regulation on actions against bullying, sexual and gender-based harassment, and violence. This includes:

• Sending a clear message that bullying, harassment, and violence are not tolerated in the workplace.

• Implementing measures that prevent such behaviors.

• Establishing procedures for responding when incidents occur.

See more under psychosocial work environment.

An emergency plan must outline responses to specific risks such as fire, natural disasters, and serious illness or accidents. The emergency plan is typically divided into an accident response plan and an evacuation plan.

The accident response plan describes how to react in the event of accidents or serious illness occurring at the workplace. This includes providing first aid, calling emergency services (e.g., 112), and ensuring that essential equipment like first aid kits and fire extinguishers is readily available.

The evacuation plan outlines how to respond to serious incidents such as fires, hazardous material leaks, or natural disasters. The goal is to ensure the safe and swift evacuation of employees and others from the workplace. It is essential to define escape routes and designate an assembly point where everyone is expected to gather after evacuating.

It is important to familiarize employees with the contents of the emergency plan and to conduct regular drills. This increases the chances of safe and effective responses in real emergencies — which could potentially save lives.

Here is a template for an emergency plan to help document a step-by-step response process clearly and effectively.

Read more about emergency planning.

The workplace health and safety plan is a living document that must be reviewed regularly. This involves reassessing the risks in the work environment to determine whether they have changed. This is especially relevant if there have been changes to the workplace, or if an accident or near miss has occurred.

Additionally, it is important to evaluate whether the preventive measures that were implemented have been effective and still serve their intended purpose. In some cases, new preventive actions may be required, or existing ones may need to be revised or replaced.

Read more about evaluation of results of the workplace health and safety plan.

Here you can find supporting documents that can be useful for managers when assessing risks at the workplace and preparing a workplace health and safety plan. For example vinnuumhverfisvísi fyrir vinnustaði.

Here you can also access further supporting materials that can be useful to managers when creating a health and safety plan:

• Template for a health and safety plan

• Template for an emergency plan

You can also find an overview of the laws and regulations that must be considered in occupational health and safety work:

• Laws and Regulations