Health and Safety Programs in Small and Medium-sized Businesses: Setting Them Up and Making Them Work Effectively
This book is intended to help people newly involved in the development of workplace safety and health programs to understand principles and concepts that can help them roll out what is often referred to as a “safety program.” It introduces the safety and health landscape in simple terms and provides a framework for common program start-up or program improvement action steps.
Providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a primer on how to think about and go about creating a safety program, this book presents a higher-level overview, framework models and suggestions, resource information, and shares concepts that can help readers not only meet regulatory requirements but also provide true value to the organization. Safety consultant Greg G. Zigulis presents readers with an accessible overview of the types of things that should be known and considered in order to create and run an effective and sustainable health and safety program.
Written for a broad professional readership, this book will be invaluable for all SME businesspersons and practitioners who need a seasoned expert to provide an understandable introduction to safety programs, whatever their situation. It’s particularly relevant to start-ups and people given responsibility for workplace safety without a background in this area.
This book discusses general occupational safety and health concepts, regulatory frameworks, and program ideas that expand beyond strict OSHA-based regulatory compliance. Note that the regulatory discussion is primarily focused on organizations regulated (for occupational safety and health) under federal OSHA or State Plan programs, and specifically within the "general industry" and "construction" industry standards.
Reviews of This Book
"Any book with an Alice in Wonderland quote sticks with me! Often EHS pros at SMBs are there “accidentally” and lack direction by no fault of their own. They’re looking for someone to tell them “please, which way I ought to go from here?”
Whether intentionally or not, Greg has provided a resource that can be read in order or by section as needed, and referred to again and again. It’s meant for those newly involved in safety, but I found it to be a straightforward refresher for someone with experience as well.
If you’ve hired or promoted someone into a safety role with limited experience, please gift them this book!I like that Greg asks readers to send him success stories; this book is designed to ensure the success of safety pros in SMB settings."
Abby Ferri, Director, Networks, National Safety Council (NSC)
"In his new book Greg Zigulis applies his over 40 years’ experience to the implementation of occupational safety and health programs. He de-mystifies the process of gathering essential information from regulators, evaluating and controlling workplace hazards, and ensuring workplace safety and health in the long term. The wealth of information presented in this book makes it a valuable reference for anyone striving to prevent worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities."
Michael D. Seymour MS, MPH, CIH (ret.)
“As someone who has spent more than 25 years leading manufacturing operations and transformations across multiple industries, I can say with confidence that Health and Safety Programs in Small and Medium-sized Businesses fills a critical gap. Gregory Zigulis brings clarity and practicality to a topic that too often gets lost in regulatory complexity or reduced to checklists.
This book does what few others do, it makes safety programs both understandable and actionable for leaders who may not have a technical safety background but know that protecting people and sustaining operations are non-negotiable. The guidance offered here is grounded in real-world experience and written in a way that equips organizations to build programs that actually work, not binders that gather dust.
For business leaders, operations executives, and anyone responsible for building or improving safety programs, this is an essential resource that connects compliance, culture, and performance. Gregory has given organizations a roadmap to not only meet their obligations, but to create safer, stronger, and more resilient workplaces."
Kenneth J. Gembel, Ph.D.
Senior P&L and Operations Executive
"As an environmental, health, and safety educator and contributor to industry standards, I strongly recommend this book. It delivers clear, accessible guidance perfect for small and medium-sized enterprises starting out in safety management."
Dr. Georgi Popov, CSP, QEP, SMP, ARM, CMC, FASSP, FAIHA
Professor, University of Central Missouri
Health and Safety Programs in Small and Medium-sized Businesses
I really enjoyed reading Health and Safety Programs in Small and Medium-sized Businesses. Interested personnel can read this book and take immediate steps toward continuous improvement of occupational safety. As a safety professional for 50 years and an advocate of lean manufacturing and lean thinking for 45 of those years, I have read only a few books that kept me nodding all the way through. The book resonated with me on many counts.
It is 198 pages, with twelve well-organized chapters. It begins with the value proposition for an occupational health and safety management system and concludes with “Where to Get OSH Help.” The book follows the ANSI Z10 standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This performance-based voluntary standard is a great road map, but it lacks direct linkages to OSHA. Most employers are more concerned with complying with the law than with conforming to a voluntary standard. Mr. Zigulis bridges that gap.
At the midpoint of my review, I thought he could have had a subtitle of “Making OSHA Work for You.” Most will think that ridiculous, but Mr. Zigulis has numerous references that I have found useful in my career. OSHA is the law and standard of care for occupational safety in the United States. I am fully cognizant that OSHA regulations are 55 years old and out of date. However, the agency offers many useful tools, especially for small or medium-sized organizations with limited technical and administrative resources. Throughout the book, Mr. Zigulis provides specific OSHA tools and resources that are valuable to employers.
I also enjoyed the conversational tone of the writing, along with good graphics, schematics, matrices, and bulleted lists, which added to the clarity of thought. Mr. Zigulis even addresses the perceived “safety mumbo-jumbo” that is so off-putting to employees and managers. One of the things I found most refreshing was his repeated use of “it depends.” That is so spot on. Variables are the bane of any organization, be they production impediments, quality issues, or safety issues. There is no one ‘magic answer’ that so many seek. Choosing the “one size fits all” standard may not be the proper or feasible solution for a hazard or hazardous situation. This book helps readers get their arms around things without feeling left hanging.
If I were the CEO or head of operations in a small or medium organization and desiring to more effectively manage occupational safety, I would buy this book, assign different parts to HR, operations, engineering or maintenance, and tell them, “bring me a one-page consensus report of what our first steps will be.”
Michael A. Taubitz
General Motors Global Safety Director (retired)
Chief Consultant, Lean Journey LLC
“Content-rich and highly actionable, Health and Safety Programs in Small and Medium Sized Businesses lays out how to build and continuously improve safety programs. Greg Zigulis packs an impressive amount of practical guidance into these pages, detailing how to develop, strengthen, and sustain health and safety programs in small and medium sized businesses. A robust guide for organizations that want structure, consistency, and measurable progress.”
Dr. Dan Snyder, CSP, CRSP
Founder of Safety Mentor