A zero tolerance policy prohibits a specific behavior, such as impairment or violence at work, with set consequences applied every time it occurs.
A workplace policy that strictly prohibits a defined behavior — such as working while impaired, workplace violence, harassment, or violating critical life-saving rules — and applies predetermined consequences every time the behavior occurs, regardless of circumstances or the employee's position.
A construction company adopts a zero tolerance policy for working at height without fall protection, communicating during onboarding that any violation results in immediate removal from the site pending review.
Common examples include drug and alcohol impairment, workplace violence and threats, weapons on site, harassment, and violations of critical safety rules like bypassing lockout or fall protection.
They can if poorly designed; OSHA has cautioned that policies such as blanket post-incident discipline or drug testing may deter workers from reporting injuries, so policies should target specific behaviors rather than the act of reporting.
The prohibited behaviors and consequences should be clearly defined in writing, explained during training, acknowledged by employees, and enforced consistently at every level of the organization.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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