Construction Law

Steps for Creating an OSHA Safety Program featured image

Steps for Creating an OSHA Safety Program

From construction sites to manufacturing plants to other industrial environments, the onus is on supervisors to provide a safe environment for employees. The reasons are all critical to the success of your business. No one wants to see employees become ill or injured due to the work environment. From a morale standpoint, that’s difficult to witness. Secondly, workplace injuries open companies up to expensive claims and litigation. Beyond that, the price of not being OSHA compliant is steep.

One of the tools that companies may use to keep their employees safe and their workplaces compliant is a safety program. A safety program outlines actions designed to identify workplace hazards, creates procedures to address these hazards, and provides training to prevent future incidents. Safety programs also outline procedures for handling injuries and illnesses when they occur.

Understanding OSHA Guidelines

A great place to start your safety program is at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) website. OSHA provides guidelines for providing a safe workplace for employees. This guidelines can help you determine what policies should be in place at your office to ensure compliance. For questions on OSHA compliance, contact the OSHA defense attorneys at Cotney Attorneys & Consultants.

Promote a Safety Officer

You will need someone to lead your safety efforts. That’s why a safety officer is key. Whether you hire someone or promote a current employee, this person needs to be trained in both general safety procedures and procedures specific to your industry. They also need to understand OSHA regulations and work to make sure that your workplace is compliant. Safety officers will evaluate workplaces for potential hazards, create plans to alleviate or eliminate those hazards, and lead employee training.

Analysis

You or your safety officer should examine your workplace for potential hazards. If there have been safety incidents in the past, it may be the sign of a pattern the needs to be addressed. Review previous incidents for similarities. Were they all in the same location? Same activities? This information can be used to establish new policies.

To request a consultation with one of our OSHA defense lawyers, please call us today at 813.579.3278 or submit our contact request form.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.