The short answer? Yes.
Some industries are more dependent on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and guidelines than others, but all employers should understand the basics.
What is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) requires employers to keep their work environments safe for employees. The Act is administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), within the Department of Labor.
The Occupational and Safety and Health Act established two key federal agencies, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). OSHA was created to administer and enforce the Act. NIOSH is a research organization. It conducts research on occupational safety and health, and makes recommendations to OSHA.
What You Need to Know
...Click the link below to read more
Some industries are more dependent on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and guidelines than others, but all employers should understand the basics.
What is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) requires employers to keep their work environments safe for employees. The Act is administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), within the Department of Labor.
The Occupational and Safety and Health Act established two key federal agencies, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). OSHA was created to administer and enforce the Act. NIOSH is a research organization. It conducts research on occupational safety and health, and makes recommendations to OSHA.
What You Need to Know
...Click the link below to read more
The OSH Act applies to most employers and workers in the private sector. OSHA requirements are in place to protect your employees from injury and your company from OSHA fines.
1. Your state may have additional OSHA laws.
You can check the OSHA site here to see if state or federal laws take precedence in your area. If your state is not on the list, it is controlled by the federal regulations.
2. You need a poster.
This is an easy one, right? Businesses must have an OSHA-compliant poster displayed in a prominent place to inform workers of their rights. You can order or print the poster from directly from OSHA here.
3. Understand your HazMat & First Aid risks.
Your employees must be provided with information on any hazardous materials in the workplace and training on how to treat injuries from these substances. “Hazardous materials” can mean anything from ordinary bleach, gasoline or propane to biohazards like E. coli or corrosives like battery acid.
All hazardous materials must have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) which can be obtained from the manufacturers of the substance. These sheets are the start of your Hazardous Materials (HazMat) binder, which should be kept in a visible, easy to find place at each of your locations.
Employees should also be provided first aid procedures, and protection against bloodborne pathogens in the workplace. Bloodborne pathogens training is required for workers who have "occupational exposure" to these blood-borne pathogens (such as medical or emergency workers), but should also be given to all workers, so they know how to deal with blood-borne pathogens in case of an emergency.
4. Make sure everyone know what to do in an emergency.
Employees should be provided training on how to deal with fires, inclement weather and other emergencies, including means of egress (getting out of buildings safely), where to go in the event of an emergency and the use of fire extinguishers. Create an emergency plan to make sure everyone is prepared.
5. Reporting isn’t exciting, but it’s necessary.
OSHA has specific forms for employers to record any incidents or injuries (find the forms and instructions here). Employers must report incidents, including fatalities, to the nearest OSHA office. However, some employers may be exempt from these reporting requirements.
OSHA states that records must be maintained at the worksite for at least five years. Each February through April, employers must post a summary of the injuries and illnesses recorded the previous year. Also, if requested, copies of the records must be provided to current and former employees, or their representatives.
There are also updated reporting requirements for 2017 - take a look at the new requirements here.
6. Employee Training is a must-have.
OSHA also requires employee training on an established emergency action plan. This training requires information on 4 main topics listed below (if you have 10 or fewer employees, this can be communicated verbally. More than 10 employees requires a written and accessible plan).
- Hazardous materials (including MSDS’s)
- Bloodborne pathogens
- Emergency and exit procedures and lastly,
- What to do in the event of an OSHA inspection
7. Inspections... surprise!
The regulations allow the agency to schedule an inspection or show up unannounced. OSHA says “Normally, OSHA conducts inspections without advance notice. Employers have the right to require compliance officers to obtain an inspection warrant before entering the worksite.”
You can learn more about what happens during an inspection from this fact sheet.
8. There are important whistleblower protections.
Employers should be aware that The Whistleblower Protection Act requires that employers not take action against employees (whistleblowers) who file complaints alleging OSHA violations.
Implementing a full health & safety plan can have huge benefits for your business. OSHA has confirmed through independent studies that employers who have in place a safety and health training program experience a 52% lower rate of "injury with days away" than employers without a program AND a second study shows average sales increasing and lessened manufacturing defects among the benefits.
OSHA regulations are complex. You can find even more about employer responsibilities and standards on OSHA’s website here - or give C Squared a call anytime and we can help guide you and your business.
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