Hi All I'm looking for a good SOP template that is engaging but is structured to allow for H&S information to be included easily and not just as an after thought bolted onto the end in a paragraph. I'm trying to review the layout of existing process SOPs but its starting to look messy and diffucult to follow. Would anyone be able to share some examples of template layouts for SOPs that have been effective? thanks!

Perhaps not too helpful but it is impossible to give a template for SOP where there is no information as to the works / operations being carried out. As per Jonty, it must be targeted towards those who will be carrying out the procedures and understandable.

A key part of my work is advising my clients on how to improve their procedures (SOP). There are two key mistakes that companies tend to make: 1. They try to write a procedure for every task - this is such a big undertaking that it can never be achieved. The problem is that lots of less important procedures are developed and some of the most important ones are often missed. 2. They try to write procedures so that 'the man in the street' can follow them. But they would never let an untrained person do the task, so a lot of unnecessary information is included that greatly increases the word count and results in people not using the procedures provided. If by 'engaging' you mean people will use the procedure, I suggest by far the best way to achieve this is to only provide the procedures that are required and only include the information that is necessary. If you do that flow charts, photos etc. are rarely necessary but can be used where they really add value. For example, a flow chart is great for supporting decision making but does not help if you simple have to follow a series of steps. Photos are generally more useful for training than supporting a trained person doing a task. You need to be careful about including safety information in a procedure. It can quickly add to the word count and clutter, and make the procedure less usable. My preference is to include a summary of the specific hazards and key controls at the start of the procedure and to include warning immediately before particularly hazardous steps. A procedure is not the place to capture standard safety information, general rules etc. Only information specific to the task. I would be happy to send you a template (PM me), but to be honest if you follow the advice above you automatically come up with a suitable template most of the time.