Demonstrate Management Commitment and Leadership
Management provides the leadership, vision, and resources (human and financial) needed to implement an effective MSD prevention program within the organization’s overall Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) program. Strong leadership in health, safety, and MSD prevention must be demonstrated by business owners, executives, managers, and supervisors.
Action 1.1: Be aware of and commit to comply with legal requirements
There are several legal requirements that organizations are required to comply with (e.g., Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ontario). The legal, and any other requirements, need to be incorporated into an organization’s OHS and MSD prevention program.
How to do it?
- Management needs to be aware of these requirements and commit to comply with these requirements in the policy (Action 1.2)
Action 1.2: Write MSD prevention policy
The first action by management is to communicate organization’s strategy and commitment towards health and safety in general and prevention of MSD in particular. The policy statement demonstrates organization’s commitment to position the importance of MSD prevention as an important aspect of organization’s strategy to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of workers, improve productivity, performance, and product and service quality.
How to do it?
- Management should develop an OHS policy that includes a commitment to prevent MSD and outlines a clear vision by the employer to improve health and safety and prevent workplace injuries. Sample MSD Prevention Policy Statement
- Management should communicate the policy to all stakeholders.
Action 1.3: Assign roles and responsibilities and allocate necessary resources
It is essential that relevant internal stakeholders play a role in OHS. Therefore, management needs to assign roles and responsibilities of internal stakeholders in health and safety and MSD prevention. The successful implementation of any prevention program requires adequate human and financial resources to help the organization achieve its MSD prevention goals and objectives.
How to do it?
- Management should define overall roles and responsibilities.
- Management may assign and authorize Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) or a similar Health and Safety Committee (HSC) to implement the MSD prevention program.
- Management in consultation with JHSC or similar HSC identifies person or persons with authority to champion the implementation of the program. In smaller organization this person must be the top management.
- Management should allocate and provide necessary resources (which includes people, money and training) for the implementation and maintenance of the OHS program including MSD prevention.