The Policy and Procedure Manual—Keeping it Current

Developing Policies and Procedures

“…They provide a historic trail of prior decisions at a given time (Amann, 2001). If a malpractice case were to occur, one issue would be whether the care provided deviated from the standard of care-in essence, was the policy or procedure followed?…”

“…Determine who will assist in the process. Occupational health service staff and other members of the occupational health team can assist in developing policies and procedures (Amann, 2001;Paige, 2003;Salazar, 2006;Tomey, 2000). By involving others, team members learn to write effective policies and procedures, engage in broader, creative thinking, and support the team concept.…”

“…A new policy may be initiated after identifying a need exists to address a gap or meet an organizational (worksite) goal or government standard. The content varies based on the number and type of staff in the occupational health service, the health risks of employees at the work location , the demographics of those employees, and pertinent laws and standards (Amann, 2001) . Various resource s can be used to identify areas to be included (e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration 300 log, workers' compensation claims , injury investigations, or lifestyle risk factors) .…”

“…Policies and procedures reviewed are also current and the system is cost-effective. If changes are necessary, managers need only make them once to the document in the system (Amann, 2001). Only authorized individuals have the ability to write to the electronic document; others have "read only" capability.…”

“…Previous copies of the policies and procedures should be maintained and archived. They provide a historic trail of prior decisions at a given time (Amann, 2001). If a malpractice case were to occur, one issue would be whether the care provided devi-…”