OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, regulates employers’ responsibility to provide a safe workplace for all employees. At a minimum, make sure that you:
Comply with all standards, rules, and regulations for your particular type of work location
Standards for different types of work locations are readily available on the OSHA website. You must also adhere to the General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide workspaces that are free from dangerous hazards. Penalties can be severe, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse for noncompliance.
Provide safe, well-maintained tools and equipment
Everything your employees use in the course of their work should be regularly inspected and maintained, and it should comply with the latest safety guidelines. You are also responsible for providing safety training to all your employees in both a language and a vocabulary in which they are fluent.
Develop a hazardous chemicals program
If hazardous chemicals are used at your facility, you must maintain safety data sheets on all products. You must also create a written communication program and properly train employees on the precautions to use with each chemical.
Inspect the workplace
Regularly, complete a full walkthrough of the entire work facility to ensure OSHA compliance. Clearly label any potential hazards. If an OSHA compliance officer finds a violation, you are required to post the citation near the work area where the violation occurred for three days or until the problem is corrected, whichever is longer. You must fix the issue by the deadline given in the citation and then the post abatement verification. All workplaces must also prominently post a standard OSHA poster or state equivalent that details worker rights and responsibilities.
Create Standard Operating Procedures
Develop a written document for standard operating procedures (SOP) that meet all OSHA requirements. Train employees on your SOP and hold them accountable.
Comply with all medical and reporting requirements
Medical examinations may be required for some or all employees, depending on the OSHA standards for your type of facility. For all facilities, you are required to report work-related fatalities within 8 hours and work-related amputations, loss of an eye, or hospitalizations within 24 hours. You must also keep records of injuries and illnesses, and provide employees with access to their records. In addition, OSHA provides whistleblower protection for employees who report violations.
Although it is not a requirement, you are also urged to create a comprehensive safety and wellness program for your employees. These programs can dramatically reduce injuries and illnesses and are ultimately good for your bottom line.
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