Following this procedure does several things. It forces you to decide what the rules and policies are going to be, shows everyone that you are concerned about health and safety, and keeps a permanent record of your safety standards.

This policy is important for staff as it makes the expectations very clear, essentially saying ‘safety is part of good science and here’s what we expect at our institution or company’ and ‘safety is part of doing any job right.’ It is particularly important for new employees as it sets the standard right from the beginning.

A good rules agreement consists of six parts: (1) the rules, (2) the signed statement that your employees read, (3) understand, (4) agree to follow and realize the failure to follow the rules can result in termination, and (5) a cover letter signed by the organization’s president or superintendent confirming that not following the rules can result in termination.

To get started, it is not necessary to write your own set of rules, policies, and procedures. Take some from the LSI Publications, State Guides, NSTA or ACS publications.