Dear Valued Customer,

In this issue of the “——————“ we focus on OSHA’s on-site consultation program.

OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Last year, OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program conducted approximately 30,000 visits to small business worksites covering over 1.5 million workers across the nation. Read on to understand the benefits this program will bring to your business.

We appreciate your continued business and look forward to serving you.

Kind regards,

OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. In FY 2013, responding to requests from small employers looking to create or improve their injury and illness prevention programs, OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program conducted approximately 30,000 visits to small business worksites covering over 1.5 million workers across the nation.

On-site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs.

On-site Consultation Program Information

• How does the On-site Consultation Program work and what are its benefits?
• What Happens During an On-site Consultation Visit?
• How can a small business receive OSHA recognition for an exceptional
  injury and illness program through On-site Consultation? (SHARP)

 

On-site Consultation Data

• On-site Consultation Visits

Small Business Resources

• Compliance Assistance
• Publications
• Electronic assistance tools
• Success stories

Source: United States Department of Labor, “On-site Consultation Program” https://www.osha.gov website. Accessed November 24, 2015. https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult.html

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

Program Information

Using a free consultation service largely funded by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their occupational injury and illness prevention programs, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections.

The service is delivered by state governments using well-trained professional staff. Most consultations take place on-site, though 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 or unhealthful working conditions that the consultant uncovers, will not be reported routinely to the OSHA inspection staff.

Your only obligation will be to correct 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.

Benefits

Your Workforce

An effective workplace injury and illness prevention program at your worksite(s) will enable you to:

• Recognize and remove hazards from your workplace.
• Protect your workers from injury and illness.
• Prevent loss of life at your worksite.
• Cultivate informed and alert employees who take responsibility for their own and their coworkers’ safety and for worksite safety as a whole.
• Improve employee morale.

Your Managers

An increased understanding of workplace hazards and remedies will put your managers in a better position to:

• Comply with federal and state safety and health requirements.
• Become more effective at their jobs. Management experts believe that a company with a well-managed injury and illness prevention program enjoys better overall management.
• Increase productivity rates and assure product quality.

Your Business as a Whole

An exemplary workplace injury and illness prevention program is “good business sense” that also makes financial sense because it will allow you to:

• Learn first-hand that the cost of accident prevention is far lower than the cost of accidents.
• Improve the bottom line by:
  • Lowering injury and illness rates,
  • Decreasing workers’ compensation costs,
  • Reducing lost workdays, and
  • Limiting equipment damage and product losses.

And if you are a small business employer, you may be eligible for another great benefit – recognition by the state and OSHA through participation in the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

Small Business Success Stories

Read about some of the small businesses that have benefited from OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program and SHARP on our Small Business Success Stories page.

Source: United States Department of Labor, “Program Information and Benefits” https://www.osha.gov website. Accessed November 24, 2015. https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/program_info.html

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

Because consultation is a voluntary activity, you must request it. To make a request, locate your state’s Consultation Program’s contact information using our OSHA Consultation Directory. 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.

Opening Conference

When the consultant arrives at your worksite for the scheduled visit, he or she will first meet with you in an opening conference to briefly review the consultant’s role and the obligation you incur as an employer.

Walk Through

Together, you and the consultant will 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.

The consultant will study your entire workplace or the specific operations you designate and discuss the applicable OSHA standards. Consultants also will point out other safety or health risks that might not be cited under OSHA standards, but nevertheless may pose safety or health risks to your employees. They may suggest and even provide other measures such as self-inspection and safety and health training you and your employees can use to prevent future hazardous situations.

A comprehensive consultation also includes (1) appraisal of all mechanical and environmental hazards and physical work practices, (2) appraisal of the present injury and illness prevention program or establishment of one, (3) a conference with management on findings, (4) a written report of recommendations and agreements, and (5) training and assistance with implementing recommendations.

Closing Conference

The consultant will then review detailed findings with you in a closing conference. You will learn not only what you need to improve, but also what you are doing right. At that time you can discuss problems, possible solutions and abatement periods to eliminate or control any serious hazards identified during the walk-through. In rare instances, the consultant may find an “imminent danger” situation during the walk-through. If so, you must take immediate action to protect all employees. In certain other situations that would be judged a “serious violation” under OSHA criteria, you and the consultant are required to develop and agree to a reasonable plan and schedule to eliminate or control that hazard. The consultants will offer general approaches and options to you. They may also suggest other sources for technical help.

Abatement and Follow Through

Following the closing conference, the consultant will send you a detailed written report explaining the findings and confirming any abatement periods agreed upon. Consultants may also contact you from time to time to check your progress. You, of course, may always contact them for assistance. Ultimately, OSHA requires hazard abatement so that each consultation visit achieves its objective — effective employee protection. If you fail to eliminate or control identified serious hazards (or an imminent danger) according to the plan and within the limits agreed upon or an agreed-upon extension, the situation must be referred from consultation to an OSHA enforcement office for appropriate action. This has rarely occurred in the past.

The On-Site Consultants Will:

• Help you recognize hazards in your workplace
• Suggest general approaches or options for solving a safety or health problem
• Identify kinds of help available if you need further assistance
• Provide you a written report summarizing findings
• Assist you to develop or maintain an effective injury and illness prevention program
• Provide training and education for you and your employees

The On-Site Consultants Will Not:

• Issue citations or propose penalties for violations of OSHA standards
• Report possible violations to OSHA enforcement staff
• Guarantee that your workplace will “pass” an OSHA inspection

Source: United States Department of Labor, “What Happens During an On-site Consultation Visit?” https://www.osha.gov website. Accessed November 24, 2015. https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult_gettingstarted.html

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.