Author, Sam Brown, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As some company leaders may recall, since 1991, all California employers are required to maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). An IIPP is an understandable and accessible safety program tailored to a business’ operations. An effective IIPP will help an employer establish and maintain a safe workplace while setting expectations and protocols for all employees.
The information below outlines the necessary elements of a written and effective IIPP, while recommending a resource to use when creating or updating the plan.
Cal/OSHA requires all Injury and Illness Prevention Programs to contain nine critical components:
A person (or persons) with authority and responsibility for implementing the program is identified.
A system for ensuring employees comply with safe and health work practices.
A system for communicating with employees in a form readily understandable by all affected.
Procedures for identifying and evaluating work place hazards.
Procedures to investigate occupational injury or illness.
Procedures for correcting unsafe or unhealthy conditions, work practices and procedures.
Provide employee training and instruction.
Procedures to allow employee access to the Program.
Recordkeeping and documentation.
California employers looking for guidance on the Cal/OSHA required Injury & Illness Prevention Program can often feel overwhelmed when addressing all required elements, while also abiding by the best practices of updating the plan, annually. Fortunately, California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund offers a free IIPP builder to all employers.
The State Fund’s IIPP Builder will help an employer create an IIPP from scratch, but can also help improve an existing program to make it more effective and compliant. An employer is first asked to answer a series of questions about safety practices. The answers will help build a safety program and tailor it to the business. The IIPP builder will also guide an employer through the required elements of the written IIPP.
Once finished, an employer can save the IIPP to their computer and upload it into their SafetyOne™ mobile app. They can also print and keep a hard copy at all locations. Lastly, to make it a truly effective program, the employers should share details of the IIPP with their employees.
Rancho Mesa wants clients to feel comfortable and confident when creating, updating, and sharing details of their Injury and Illness Prevention Program. To learn more about an effective IIPP and the State Fund’s IIPP BuilderSM, please contact me at sbrown@ranchomesa.com or (619) 937-0175.