Dear Nitali Das
What I understand from your reply is that Safety is on it's grass root level in your organization... You may be trying to bring it to a respectable level... I don't know much idea about polymer industry, however can give you some tips...
I would suggest you to go ahead with initial proposal as below:
1. First of all I would like to bring the following DuPont Proverb in your knowledge "You will always get the level of safety what you demonstrate you want and not what you say you want"... So first of all you ask your top management what the level of safety standard they would be looking for? Accordingly we may go ahead to make suitable plans.
2. Any safety system implementation needs the greater clarity on the concept to the top leaders... The one who manages the show feels that "Safety is the job of a Safety Officer" then everything shall be getting collapsed and system will never get sustained... Safety is a line management function and managing safety is everybody's responsibility, this concept should be first of all make very clear in the minds of your top management people. For that first of all organize training programs among your senior executives starting from the top person... If you are able to make them understand this concept, you may conduct the session, or else hire a good faculty... Cause this is the starting point...
3. Once if you able to develop the will of Safety System Implementation in the minds of your top management people then the things will come in stream line... You will get budget for safety, support, etc....
4. Conduct a process safety audit... You may make a checklist with applicable clauses for your plant... Take reference of IS 14489 - Code of Practice on Occupational Health & Safety Audit... Initially for this also you may take the help of external consultant if you feel so and if your management permits... Or else even you can conduct internally... If you need a copy of the same let me know, I can send to you over your mail...
5. Take the issues coming out through this audit based on the priority wise and complete one by one... Try to involve more and more people in the execution level...
6. Make some rules, impart trainings on them, keep continuous monitoring, etc... All these you can do once get certain level...
Hope you get some help from my inputs... Do let me know this was of your help or not?
Awaiting to hear the views of other members also on this thread...