Safety Management System (SMS) – Starter Template

This Safety Management System (SMS) Starter Template is designed to assist a business in creating processes for managing health and safety responsibilities in the workplace.

A Safety Management System (SMS) helps manage health and safety in a systematic way, and includes the following components:

• Policy: The over-arching detailed statement and high-level strategy outlining the business’s commitment and vision to manage health and safety activities.
• Procedures: Established methods and processes to follow to ensure critical risks and hazards are managed appropriately.
• Guidelines: Specific steps and detailed instructions that provides assistance and more information on a topic/element.
• Safe Work Procedures (SWPs): These are specific, detailed instructions on how to perform tasks safely and efficiently and are normally developed following the completion of a risk assessment.

This SMS starter template can be used as a basis to develop a safety management system that documents safety processes and assists with coordinating efforts to manage risks and preventing accidents and injuries, thus creating a safer work environment.  It is intended this template is to be customised to the business’ operations to suit the business undertakings, including how critical risks are addressed.