The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its “Safe and Sound Campaign” recently, calling on employers to review their safety and health programs to protect workers, and reduce workplace injuries and deaths.
“With just a phone call, companies can contact OSHA for assitance in achieving safety compliance. Working together with businesses, unions, and employees, we can reduce these sobering statistics and implement and sustain workplace safety and health programs that can help employees avoid preventable injuries and deaths,” Kim Stille, OSHA’s Regional Administrator in Kansas City, said.
Employers have proven that safety and health programs reduce the numbers of injuries and illnesses, and improve their bottom line. While there are different approaches to ensuring worker safety and health, all effective programs share three core elements:
- Management leadership. Top management commits to establishing, maintaining and improving the program continually, and provides any necessary resources.
- Worker participation. Employers invite workers to identify solutions. Improved worker engagement can lead to better productivity, higher job satisfaction and worker retention – lowering turnover and recruitment costs.
- A systematic “find and fix” approach. Employers and workers examine their workplaces, proactively and routinely, to identify and address hazards before they can cause injury or illness.
Employers seeking to create a safety and health program should know that the process doesn’t have to be complicated or demand outside consultants be employed; there are some simple, do-it-yourself steps to get started. OSHA’s “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs” page offers practical advice on how any organization can integrate safety and health programs.
OSHA also offers compliance assistance, tips, consultation for small- and medium-sized businesses, educational materials, training and other information to employers and workers on common workplace safety hazards and how to prevent illness and injury – all at no charge.