A Safety Management System for Healthcare

Safety management system (SMS) is often defined as a formal risk management framework to improve safety in the workplace. 

A strong Safety Management System helps organization's proactively identify hazards to ensure the health and safety of their employees.  An SMS also provides organization's with the means to be able to actively control those hazards. The size and complexity of a Safety Management system should be scaled to suit the size of each organization. Absence of an effective SMS can result in employee injuries, illnesses, financial impacts and compliance issues.

Not wanting to have an injury is not the same thing as proactively working to prevent an injury.

SASWH provides several options for its members to develop a greater understanding of Safety Management Systems and to evaluate your current SMS to ensure it meets the provincial standards for healthcare in Saskatchewan.

Option # 1 - Workshop Session: Safety Management System Basics (SMS)

This workshop style training session explains the six elements found in the provincially approved Safety Management System standards for healthcare in Saskatchewan with particular emphasis on the hazard identification and control process. This session is delivered in a 3 hour classroom setting which includes; lecture, theory and group work.  Participants recieve a workbook and reference guide which includes the material covered in the workshop.

Goal of the Session:

This session will enable participants to gain a greater understanding of the basic elements of a safety management system and their interconnectivity, become familiar with the six elements and gain a working knowledge of the principles of hazard identification and control.

The six elements of a Safety Management System (SMS) that will be reviewed are:

  1. Management & Leadership

  2. Hazard Identification & Control

  3. Training & Communications

  4. Inspections

  5. Reporting & Investigation

  6. Emergency Response

Session Standards:

This session is based on the provincially approved Safety Management System standards for healthcare which meet or exceed provincial legislation and industry best practices.  Recommended class size for potential hosts - 20 participants maximum. 

Session Dates:

To register for a Safety Management System Basics session please see our Training Schedule with currently scheduled dates.  If there are no upcoming session dates listed please contact your Workplace Safety Specialist to obtain details as to how to schedule a session in your workplace that is facilitated by SASWH.

Option # 2 - Safety Management System Basics - Online Module at SASWH eCampus:

SASWH has developed an online learning option for the Safety Management System Basics session within our eCampus for those looking for self-paced distance learning.  This e-learning option will provide a brief introduction to the six elements of the SMS. 

How to Enrol and Access the eCampus

You will require an ENROLLMENT KEY, which is FREE to all healthcare employees and employers.  To obtain an enrollment key email us. 

Once you have obtained a key you will need to create a SASWH eCampus account.  Then you can log into the campus and access any of the programs for which you have an enrollment key. Click on the training program you wish to complete and enter the enrollment key when prompted to do so.

Option # 3 - Contact the Workplace Safety Specialist for Your Area

SASWH has several highly skilled Workplace Safety Specialists accross the province who are are available to employers and employees within the healthcare sector.  They can walk you through how to evalate your own Safety Management System and help you determine which areas you could focus on so that you can experience improvements in the area of workplace safety as quickly as possible.  Locate and contact your Workplace Safety Specialist today! 

Questions?

Contact us