Staying Safe Via Your Friendly OSHA Rep

It's not like you don't have enough to worry about running your business. From making sure your employees aren't stealing to ensuring that you actually make a profit this quarter, your hands are full. Just when you thought it was safe to go into the office…BAM!! You get hit with a safety citation that YOU have to correct or else!

That's right, whether you know it or not, your business could be operating under some very unsavory conditions. Just because your work environment seems safe, doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. There are a variety of environmental hazards to your space that you will likely not be able to ascertain by just giving the area a good visual once over. Granted, many times you can find hazards with a minimal investigation but it is vital to have experts check out your workspace for every type of hazard imaginable.

This is when it's time to give OSHA (the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration) a call. Don't panic; OSHA (www.osha.gov) can provide you with help you didn't even know you needed and the best part is the price: it's FREE. You can find out about potential hazards at your worksites, improve your occupational safety and health management systems, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections through the agency's free consultation service.

The consultation is delivered by New York state government using a well-trained professional staff, and usually takes place on-site (limited services away from the worksite are available). Primarily targeted for smaller businesses, this safety and health consultation program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort. In addition, no citations are issued or penalties proposed.

It's confidential, too. Your name, your firm's name, and any information you provide about your workplace, plus any unsafe working conditions that the consultant uncovers, will not be reported routinely to the OSHA inspection staff. But you have to commit yourself to correcting serious job safety and health hazards--a commitment which you are expected to make prior to the actual visit and carry out in a timely manner.

How To Get Started
Because the consultation is voluntary, you must request it. Your telephone call or letter sets the consulting machinery in motion. The consultant will discuss your specific needs with you and set up a visit date based on the priority assigned to your request, your work schedule, and the time needed for the consultant to adequately prepare to serve you. OSHA encourages a complete review of your firm's safety and health situation; however, if you wish you may limit the visit to one or more specific problems.

When the consultant arrives, he or she will first meet with you to briefly review their role and your obligation as an employer. You and the consultant will then examine conditions in your workplace. OSHA strongly encourages maximum employee participation in the walk-through. Better informed and more alert employees can more easily work with you to identify and correct potential injury and illness hazards in your workplace. Talking with employees during the walk-through helps the consultant identify and judge the nature and extent of specific hazards.