In regards to health and safety, due diligence means that the employer shall take all reasonable precautions, under the particular circumstances, to prevent injuries and accidents in the workplace.

To exercise due diligence, an employer must implement a plan to identify possible workplace hazards and carry out the appropriate corrective action to prevent accidents or injuries arising from these hazards.

Most supervisors and managers would think “I do that every day! I don’t have incidents and my guys go home safe at the end of the day!” But one area that may be lacking when it comes to due diligence is documentation.

If it isn’t written down it didn’t happen.

Documentation is required for auditing purposes and may provide the evidence necessary for legal proceedings in the event of a serious incident. Poor documentation can have a negative impact on the Company’s overall safety program.

Complete and concise documentation is often overlooked but is necessary for any health and safety program to be successful.