OSHA General Industry · Part 9: Bloodborne Pathogens, Recordkeeping, Workplace Violence and Safety and Health Programs
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9.4 Safety and Health Programs
An effective program that manages worker safety and health:
- lowers the number and severity of work related injuries and illnesses
- improves morale and productivity
- reduces workers' compensation costs
It identifies, evaluates and prevents or controls hazards in a systematic way, and goes beyond the specific requirements of the law to cover all hazards. Individual OSHA standards often require written programs, and together these often form the basis of the safety program of a facility.
The four elements
1. Management commitment and employee involvement
- Write a clear safety and health policy and communicate goals and objectives.
- Give visible top management involvement.
- Involve employees in decisions that affect their safety and health, for example on inspection teams, hazard analysis, safe work rules, training and accident investigation.
- Assign and communicate responsibility for every part of the program, and give authority and resources to the people responsible.
- Hold managers, supervisors and employees accountable.
- Review the program at least once a year and revise it.
2. Worksite hazard analysis
- Make comprehensive baseline surveys and then periodic surveys.
- Analyse planned and new facilities, processes, materials and equipment.
- Do routine job hazard analyses, supported by checklists and job safety analysis forms.
- Make regular site inspections, including by the safety committee.
- Give employees a reliable way to report hazards without fear of reprisal and to receive timely answers.
- Investigate accidents and near misses to find causes and ways to prevent them.
- Analyse trends over time to find patterns with common causes.
3. Hazard prevention and control
- Use engineering controls where feasible.
- Set safe work procedures that are understood and followed through training, positive reinforcement, correction of unsafe practices and enforcement.
- Provide PPE and use administrative controls.
- Maintain the facility and equipment.
- Plan for emergencies with training and drills at least once a year.
- Set up a medical program with first aid on site and access to a nearby doctor and emergency care.
4. Safety and health training
- Make sure every employee understands the hazards and how to prevent harm.
- Make sure that supervisors do their duties: analysing the work they supervise to find hazards, maintaining physical protections, and reinforcing training through feedback and enforcement.
- Make sure managers understand their duties.
OSHA program options
| Option | What it offers |
|---|---|
| State plans | The OSH Act encourages states to run their own job safety and health plans, which OSHA approves and monitors. |
| Consultation services | Free help for employers to set up and keep a safe workplace. The employer's only obligation is to correct the serious hazards found within the agreed time. |
| Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) | Star, Merit and Demonstration levels recognise outstanding safety management systems. |
| Strategic partnerships | Cooperative relationships with groups of employers, workers, unions, associations and universities to remove serious hazards. |
| Training and education | OSHA area offices, the OSHA Training Institute education centers and the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. |
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