OSHA Seeks Comments on Safety and Health Programs
Employers should have a program designed to find and fix safety hazards, according to a new U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) draft guidance document. Stakeholders can comment on the draft guidance until Feb. 15, 2016. Click here to review and comment.
Published Nov. 16, the voluntary Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines detail core elements of an effective safety and health program. The elements include the following:
- Management leadership
- Worker participation
- Hazard identification and assessment
- Hazard prevention and control
- Education and training
- Program evaluation and improvement
- Coordination and communication on multi-employer worksites
OSHA lists several steps in each core element to help establish, implement, maintain and improve programs. The agency says that employers should define program goals and expectations, give workers access to safety and health information, and identify and select hazard controls.
The draft is an update and replacement for voluntary guidelines issued in 1989, and incorporates lessons learned from OSHA recognition programs and industry consensus standards.