Workplace Health and Safety: US

This Workplace Health and Safety policy helps your organization set clear, practical expectations for preventing injuries and illnesses at work, responding to emergencies, and encouraging employees to speak up about hazards without fear of retaliation. It supports compliance with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) and related OSHA requirements, including injury and illness record-keeping rules and required workplace postings, and it creates a consistent baseline you can apply across locations even when state or local rules add extra steps.

The History Behind Workplace Health and Safety Policies in the US

Workplace health and safety policies in the US are a result of too many people getting hurt or killed on the job, and voluntary "be careful" programs weren't enough to meaningfully change things. Congress responded with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which created OSHA and gave the federal government power to set and enforce workplace safety standards for Health, Safety, & OSHA Compliance.

OSHA enforcement pushed employers toward written, repeatable systems because "good intentions" aren't enough. The OSH Act's General Duty Clause required employers to address recognized hazards even when no specific standard existed, and that made hazard assessments, training, and documentation feel less optional. OSHA's record-keeping rules then made injuries and illnesses measurable through required logs and reporting.

State plans and industry-specific rules added another layer, and they often moved faster than federal OSHA. California's long-running Injury and Illness Prevention Program requirement became a model for the idea that prevention should be structured and written down, with clear responsibilities and follow-through. Heat illness rules followed the same pattern as temperatures rose and outdoor work expanded, with states like California adopting detailed prevention requirements and OSHA leaning harder on enforcement tools while federal heat standards developed.

Which Law is the Workplace Health and Safety Policy Meant to Comply With?

If you create and distribute a Workplace Health and Safety Policy for your US-based employees, ensure it complies with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), OSHA's injury and illness record-keeping and reporting requirements (29 CFR Part 1904), and OSHA's Job Safety and Health: It's the Law poster requirement.

How to Write a US Workplace Health and Safety Policy

• Start with "why" and introduce the concept of protecting employee wellbeing by preventing workplace injuries, illnesses, and accidents.
• Require employees to work safely and avoid creating hazards for themselves or others.
• Direct employees to follow all workplace safety rules, procedures, and applicable legal requirements.
• Require employees to pause work and get guidance before performing tasks they believe may be unsafe.
• Set expectations for using required safety gear, equipment, and role-specific safety guidelines.
• Require prompt reporting of all work-related illnesses and injuries, including incidents employees witness.
• Require cooperation with internal or agency investigations into workplace illnesses, injuries, or accidents.
• Reference supporting prevention programs and plans for injury, illness, and heat-related illness.
• Instruct employees to contact emergency services first during urgent workplace emergencies.
• Require reporting of unsafe conditions, near misses, and equipment issues.
• Prohibit retaliation against employees who raise safety concerns or participate in investigations.
• Describe that safety violations and endangering conduct may result in discipline, up to and including termination.

When to Include this Policy in Your Employee Handbook

OSHA requires that you publish their official poster. Beyond that, federal law does not require you to publish a policy. That said, you still have to comply with the requirements that apply to you as an employer.

This is the kind of policy most employers should put in their handbook or otherwise publish to employees. Use it to reinforce day-to-day safety responsibilities, reporting and investigation cooperation, and role-specific safety procedures (like heat illness prevention plans) so employees know what to do before, during, and after a safety issue.

It answers a question employees will ask, sets expectations, and gives managers a consistent script. If you don't include it, you'll end up explaining things ad hoc, and that's when inconsistency, resentment, and accidental noncompliance shows up. 

OSHA 1903.2(a)(1) states:

Each employer shall post and keep posted a notice or notices, to be furnished by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, informing employees of the protections and obligations provided for in the Act, and that for assistance and information, including copies of the Act and of specific safety and health standards, employees should contact the employer or the nearest office of the Department of Labor. Such notice or notices shall be posted by the employer in each establishment in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted. Each employer shall take steps to insure that such notices are not altered, defaced, or covered by other material.

The official OSHA poster is available for free. A straightforward policy in your handbook is the perfect complement to this required poster.

Other Considerations

The law applies to US employers who have at least 1 employee in the US.

Exceptions

There are situations where these legal requirements don't apply.

• OSHA coverage limits:
  • State and local government employers (in states without an OSHA-approved State Plan).
  • Workplace conditions regulated by another federal agency under its own safety and health authority.
• Injury and illness record-keeping limits:
  • Work-related injuries and illnesses involving self-employed individuals.
  • Work-related injuries and illnesses involving certain workers who are not on your payroll (for example, some categories of contractors).