Integrated Safety Plan
Mark Linsenbigler
The Integrated Safety Plan or "ISP" is an incentive based approach which promotes broader employee involvement in workplace safety and health. The basis of this plan is to create a partnership between EHS and participating units at the departmental level. The ISP creates a "structure" for managing safety and health within the department. Taking a structured approach to safety and health will yield numerous benefits to the department including an enhanced safety culture, reduced risk of injury, and improved regulatory compliance. In addition to these benefits, EHS will offer financial incentives in the form of regulatory indemnity and cost sharing to those departments that effectively implement the ISP.
Under the ISP partnership, departments agree to implement three "core elements" in exchange for the financial incentives offered by EHS. The three core elements of the ISP are:
Leadership Commitment
The first core element of the ISP is leadership commitment. Leadership alone can make safety a key business goal and provide the necessary resources to achieve safety objectives. Employees within every organization take their cues from administrators, managers, and supervisors. If leadership consistently treats safety as a priority, so will the rest of the work group.
In order to achieve and maintain ISP certification, the department must take the following actions relating to leadership commitment:
ISP Phase 1 Actions:
- Visibly demonstrate leadership commitment to workplace safety and health.
- Clearly assign and communicate safety responsibilities to all employees.
- Ensure leadership is aware of relevant injury and illness statistics.
ISP Phase 2 Actions:
- Implement system for ensuring safety responsibilities are met.
- Integrate safety into planning processes.
- Periodically establish safety goals and metrics for the department.
The ISP Workbook provides further guidance on these actions. Environmental Health and Safety is also available to provide assistance in implementing the "Leadership Commitment" element.
Employee Involvement
Employee involvement is the second core element of the ISP. Leadership commitment and employee involvement are complementary forces. Leadership commitment provides the motivating force and the resources for accomplishing safety objectives within an organization. Employee involvement provides the means through which employees develop and express a commitment to workplace safety.
In order to achieve and maintain ISP certification, the department must take the following actions relating to employee involvement:
ISP Phase 1 Actions:
- Establish a departmental safety committee that effectively represents all employees.
- Develop mechanisms through which all employees can effectively communicate safety concerns and offer suggestions for safety-related improvements.
ISP Phase 2 Actions:
- Allow employees opportunities for direct involvement in safety efforts.
The ISP Workbook provides further guidance on these actions. Environmental Health and Safety is also available to provide assistance in implementing the "Employee Involvement" element.
Self-Review
Completion of self-reviews is the third core element of the ISP. Participating departments must review their internal operations in order to identify potential hazards and compliance gaps. The self-review process is initially geared toward assessing program gaps and must be complemented by periodic workplace inspections. Objectives related to program implementation and continual improvement can be developed based on the self-review results, thus creating safer workplaces.
In order to achieve and maintain ISP certification, the department must take the following actions relating to self-reviews:
ISP Phase 1 Actions:
- Identify the general safety issues which affect the department.
ISP Phase 2 Actions:
- Identify program gaps.
- Prioritize program gaps.
- Close program gaps.
The ISP Workbook provides further guidance on these actions. Environmental Health and Safety is also available to provide assistance in implementing the "Self-Review" element.
The following tools are used to identify program gaps during the ISP self-review process:
- ISP Self-Review Part I
- ISP Self-Review Part II
The following forms have been developed to help departments identify specific hazards within their work areas:
- General Workplace Inspection Form
- Kitchen Safety Inspection Form
- Lab Safety Inspection Form
- Office Safety Inspection Form
- Shop Safety Inspection Form
EHS will serve as an active partner in the ISP process by providing tools, resources, and consultation to participating departments. EHS will also assess department efforts in order to determine whether or not the ISP criteria have been successfully met. Those departments that meet the criteria will be recognized as being "ISP certified" by EHS and thus become eligible for incentives.
Program Applicability
ISP is a voluntary program available to Penn State academic and administrative units that choose to participate. Departments partner with EHS to build a structured approach to workplace safety by implementing three core elements—leadership commitment, employee involvement, and self‑review. Units that meet ISP requirements may earn ISP certification and qualify for EHS incentives, such as regulatory indemnity and cost sharing. The ISP does not replace required safety and compliance programs, and all applicable EHS requirements continue to apply whether or not a unit participates.
Program Requirements
Departments that choose to participate in the Integrated Safety Plan (ISP) must partner with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and commit to building a structured, ongoing approach to workplace safety. Participating units are expected to meet the following requirements:
- Implement the ISP’s three core elements:
- Leadership commitment
- Employee involvement
- Self‑review
- Establish and maintain a structured approach to managing departmental safety and health
- Complete self‑reviews to identify hazards, assess safety programs, and address gaps
- Work with EHS during evaluations to confirm ISP criteria are met
- Maintain ISP elements over time to remain eligible for ISP certification
- Continue to follow all applicable EHS safety and regulatory requirements, as ISP participation does not replace required programs
Documentation and Forms
- ISP Summary: This document provides an overview of the ISP process. It includes a table which outlines the expectations for each core element and the corresponding financial incentives.
- ISP Workbook: This workbook has been developed in order to guide participating groups through the process of implementing the Integrated Safety Plan or "ISP". It reviews each of the three core elements and provides direction in how to effectively develop each one. The workbook also provides an overview of the benefits and incentives associated with the ISP.
- Summary of Financial Incentives: Two financial incentives (regulatory indemnity and cost sharing) are available to groups who successfully implement the ISP and subsequently become "certified" by Environmental Health and Safety. This document provides a summary of each financial incentive and outlines the procedure for requesting cost sharing funds.
- Form for Requesting Cost Sharing Funds
The following tools are used to identify program gaps during the ISP self-review process:
- ISP Self-Review Part I
- ISP Self-Review Part II
The following forms help departments identify specific hazards within their work areas:
- General Workplace Inspection Form
- Kitchen Safety Inspection Form
- Lab Safety Inspection Form
- Office Safety Inspection Form
- Shop Safety Inspection Form