Published 28 Jul 2025
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2 min read
What is a Safety Management Plan?
A safety management plan (SMP) is a document that outlines the specific safety procedures and arrangements necessary for a project or activity. It is an essential aspect of maintaining an efficient safety management system as it helps define responsibilities, objectives, emergency response plans, and communication channels.
Importance and Benefits
A safety management plan serves as the cornerstone of any organization’s commitment to safety. It outlines the strategies, protocols, and procedures to safeguard employees, assets, and the environment. Specifically, it aims to help with the following:
Enhancing workplace safety and reducing injuries and illnesses
Ensuring regulatory compliance with internal and legal safety requirements
Identifying hazards and threats to employee safety
Mitigating risks and addressing them
Reporting and documenting incidents, hazards, and risks
Having a safety management plan can also help streamline and improve operations and organizational management. As it outlines all safety procedures, it can also help in designating necessary point persons in case of emergencies, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each one.
What to Include in a Safety Management Plan
Different organizations have different safety procedures to follow. However, a typical safety management plan contains fields for the following:
Name of person preparing the plan and their personnel
Management responsibilities
Communication channels to use
Risk management practices such as:
Enforcing and implementing emergency procedures
Presence of Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) sheets
Observing for hazards present and identifying the mitigation measures for them
Observed safety breaches, if any
Additional notes and recommendations
Sign off
Here is a sample safety management plan in use for reference:
