OSHA Releases Updated Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs
Recommendations Do Not Create New Legal Obligations
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a set of Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs to help employers establish a methodical approach to improving safety and health in their workplaces. Highlights of the recommendations are presented below.
New Features
The recommendations update prior OSHA guidelines to reflect changes in the economy, workplaces, and evolving safety and health issues. The recommendations feature a new format and are expected to be particularly helpful to small and medium-sized businesses. Also new are a section on multi-employer workplaces and a greater emphasis on continuous improvement. Supporting tools and resources are included.
The programs are not prescriptive; rather, they are built around a core set of business processes that can be implemented to suit a particular workplace in any industry.
Core Elements
The OSHA recommendations include seven core elements for a safety and health program:
- Management leadership;
- Worker participation;
- Hazard identification and assessment;
- Hazard prevention and control;
- Education and training;
- Program evaluation and improvement; and
- Communication and coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies.
Note: The recommendations are advisory only and do not create any new legal obligations or alter existing obligations created by OSHA standards or regulations.
Click here to read the recommendations.
