Safety and Health Resource Manual

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The Michigan Municipal League Workers’ Compensation Fund Loss Control Department developed the Safety and Health Resource Manual as a tool that its Members can use when developing policies for their Loss Control Program.

A municipality can prevent accidents and injuries by controlling the work environment and its employees’ actions. For this reason, management should implement a Loss Control Program. Although this may add to management’s obligations, organizations that have effective loss control programs have a working environment in which employees can operate economically, efficiently, and safely.

As part of this program, management should develop and implement a policy manual. A manual is absolutely essential in today's complex, competitive, and regulation-ridden work environment. Good written policies do more than help supervisors and managers make difficult decisions and enforce rules. They provide the framework and background for such decisions, so that supervisors can explain to their subordinates (and to themselves) why a certain action or decision is the right one under the circumstances.

This eighteen-chapter manual covers a wide array of general subjects such as Safety Programs and Safety Committees, Safety-Related Employment Practices and MIOSHA. It also has chapters that relate to specific technical subjects including Confined Space Entry, Personal Protective Equipment and Lock-out/Tagout Programs. In addition, the manual contains sample policies that the municipality can tailor to meet its specific needs.

The best policy is one that arises from the best decisions of the past. It should incorporate the careful thought, the good judgment, and the valuable experience of all managers who have faced problems or decisions in a particular policy area. Most important, a good policy is a natural outgrowth of the organization's management philosophy and overall objectives. It helps management direct the organization according to its established goals and mission. Use of this manual can only add to the effectiveness of the policy development process.

If you are a member of the Fund or Pool and have questions about the Safety and Health Manual, please contact your loss control representative or email losscontrol@mml.org.