Description
Code of Safe Work Practices Poster
Help communicate important workplace safety rules with the Code of Safe Work Practices Poster. This 18 x 24-inch safety poster provides employees and supervisors with a visible reference for general safe work practices and can help reinforce an employer's workplace safety program.
A Code of Safe Practices establishes basic safety expectations employees should follow while performing their work. Employers should ensure that their code addresses the hazards and operations specific to their workplace rather than relying solely on general safety rules.
What Is a Code of Safe Practices?
A Code of Safe Practices is a written set of workplace safety rules and procedures intended to help employees understand safe work expectations, recognize unsafe conditions, and follow appropriate practices while performing their jobs.
Depending on the workplace and operations, safe work practices may address employee conduct, personal protective equipment, housekeeping, equipment operation, hazard reporting, emergency procedures, material handling, fall hazards, electrical hazards, and other workplace safety concerns.
California Construction Code of Safe Practices Requirements
California construction employers are subject to specific Code of Safe Practices requirements under California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1509.
Under Section 1509, every employer covered by California's Construction Safety Orders must adopt a written Code of Safe Practices that relates to the employer's operations. The code must contain language equivalent to the relevant portions of Plate A-3 of the Construction Safety Orders Appendix.
Does the California Code of Safe Practices Have to Be Posted?
Under 8 CCR 1509(c), the Code of Safe Practices must be posted at a conspicuous location at each job-site office or provided to each supervisory employee, who must have it readily available.
Employers should ensure that the Code of Safe Practices used at a construction site is appropriate for the employer's actual operations and addresses applicable workplace hazards.
What Does a Code of Safe Practices Cover?
A workplace Code of Safe Practices can help reinforce general safety responsibilities such as:
- Following established workplace safety rules and procedures
- Reporting unsafe conditions or work practices
- Following supervisor safety instructions
- Using required personal protective equipment
- Using tools and equipment safely
- Maintaining good housekeeping practices
- Following safe lifting and material-handling procedures
- Recognizing and reporting workplace hazards
- Following emergency and first aid procedures
- Complying with job-specific safety requirements
Employee Safety Responsibilities
Employees should follow applicable safety rules, use required protective equipment, properly operate tools and equipment, and promptly report unsafe conditions or practices to their supervisor or other designated person.
Supervisors play an important role in communicating and enforcing safe work practices and ensuring employees understand the hazards and precautions associated with their assigned work.
Employee Safety Training
California construction requirements also address employee safety instruction. Workers must receive information regarding the hazards and safety precautions applicable to their work and be directed to read the employer's Code of Safe Practices.
Employees exposed to known job-site hazards should receive appropriate instruction about recognizing those hazards, protecting themselves from injury, and responding appropriately if an injury or emergency occurs.
Code of Safe Practices and the Injury and Illness Prevention Program
The Code of Safe Practices works alongside an employer's broader Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). California employers are required to establish, implement, and maintain an effective IIPP under applicable Cal/OSHA requirements.
A Code of Safe Practices does not replace an employer's IIPP. Instead, it can help communicate specific safety rules and expectations that support the employer's overall injury and illness prevention efforts.
Safety Meetings for California Construction Employers
California construction employers should also be aware of applicable safety meeting requirements. Under 8 CCR 1509, supervisory employees must conduct toolbox, tailgate, or equivalent safety meetings with their crews at least every 10 working days to emphasize workplace safety.
Regular safety meetings provide an opportunity to discuss current job-site hazards, recent incidents, changing work conditions, and the safe work practices employees are expected to follow.
Where Can a Code of Safe Work Practices Poster Be Displayed?
A Code of Safe Work Practices Poster can help reinforce employee safety awareness in locations such as:
- Construction job-site offices
- Jobsite trailers
- Employee safety and training areas
- Manufacturing facilities
- Warehouses and distribution centers
- Maintenance departments
- Industrial workplaces
- Employee break areas
- Other conspicuous employee locations
Does This Poster Satisfy Every Employer's Code of Safe Practices Requirements?
No single general safety poster should be relied upon to address every hazard or operation at every workplace. California's construction requirement specifically calls for a written Code of Safe Practices that relates to the employer's operations.
This poster can provide a useful general safety reference, but employers should review their individual operations and applicable regulations and add or maintain workplace-specific safe work practices when necessary.
The poster does not replace an employer's Injury and Illness Prevention Program, employee safety training, job-specific procedures, hazard assessments, personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, or other applicable safety requirements.
Code of Safe Work Practices Poster Specifications
- 18"W x 24"H
- Portrait orientation
- Printed in full color
- Laminated with high-quality laminate
Workplace Safety and Compliance Resources
Labor Law Compliance Center provides employers with labor law posters, workplace safety posters, workplace policy posters, specialty postings, and compliance resources for businesses throughout the United States. California employers can also review our California Labor Law Posters page for additional California workplace posting information and compliance products.
