The list
Every policy your department should have.
Sorted by priority so you know where to start. Each one tells you the type (SOP or SOG), the standard it maps to, and whether we have a template ready for it.
Write these first. Required by law, standard, or common sense.
Every established department should have these within their first year.
Add as your department’s scope and capabilities grow.
How to use this list
You don’t need all of them today.
Audit what you already have.
Walk down this list with your book open. Check off what’s current, flag what’s out-of-date, circle what’s missing.
Pick three Essentials.
Start with three Essential policies you’re missing or have the worst version of. Three is enough for one quarter.
Train, then write the next three.
A policy isn’t done at adoption — it’s done when crews are trained. Don’t move on until the last batch is embedded.
Already have most of these? Great.
Use this list as an annual audit. Walk through it every January. The standards shift, NIOSH publishes new findings, your department changes — your policies should, too.