NEWSWATCH​
IH PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
OSHA Launches Campaign to Promote Safety and Health Programs
On Oct. 18, OSHA released updated recommended practices to encourage safety and health programs in all workplaces in the U.S. The
Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs
, which were first published as OSHA’s 1989
Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines
, are intended to help employers establish a methodical approach to improving health and safety in their workplaces. OSHA’s updated recommended practices reflect changes in the economy, workplaces, and evolving health and safety issues. New to the OSHA recommendations is a section on multi-employer workplaces.
According to the agency’s press release, the recommendations’ updated format should be particularly helpful for small- and medium-sized businesses. The recommendations include what the agency considers to be the 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.
“The programs are not prescriptive; they are built around a core set of business processes that can be implemented to suit a particular workplace in any industry,” the agency’s press release reads. “OSHA has seen them successfully implemented in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, technology, retail, services, higher education, and government.”
OSHA’s updated recommended practices are available on the agency’s
website
.
OSHA simultaneously launched its new Safe + Sound Campaign, which promotes adoption of a safety and health program in all workplaces. As a co-sponsor of the campaign, AIHA supports OSHA’s vision of a health and safety program in every U.S. workplace.
During his remarks announcing the new campaign, Michaels asked health and safety professionals to help spread the word and encourage the creation of health and safety programs using OSHA or other program recommendations that may be more appropriate for certain businesses. To learn more about OSHA’s campaign for safety and health programs, visit the agency's
website
.
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