Remaining compliant under current OSHA guidelines is key to not only protecting your employees but also helping your company avoid hefty citations for violations to current guidelines you may not even be aware of. Read on to learn more about what OSHA is and how employers can ensure they are remaining compliant under the current updated guidelines.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created under the Occupational Safety Act of 1970 and is focused on ensuring safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing safety standards. OSHA provides training, outreach, education, and assistance for both employers and employees. As part of the US Department of Labor, OSHA covers most private sector employers and their employees as well as some public sector employers.
Under OSHA’s guidelines, employers are required to provide a safe workplace. This includes providing safety training in a language their employees can understand and developing and implementing safety protocols designed to protect employees from known potential health and safety hazards. OSHA regularly updates their guidelines to keep pace with evolving workplace conditions and hazards, and employers failing to adhere to these updated standards can face significant penalties, including hefty citations for failing to comply with current standards. In order to maintain a safe working environment, as well as to avoid citations, employers need to make sure they are keeping current with the updated OSHA standards. Current OSHA requirements and standards can be found here (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs) as well as by contacting your local OSHA office.
OSHA keeps a keen eye on evolving workplace conditions and regularly updates their standards whenever warranted, often several times within the year. Because of this, it is critical that employers stay current and remain compliant under the new guidelines.
The first step in remaining compliant is in staying up to date on the ever-changing standards. These key employer responsibilities provide a general framework under which employers can operate. The OSHA Law and Regulations site provides a searchable directory of the current guidelines, which can help employers be aware of the standards and standard interpretations that apply to their industry.
Part of remaining compliant under OSHA guidelines is maintaining injury and illness records and submitting them to OSHA electronically, when required. Employers also need to report all severe injuries and fatalities to OSHA within specified timelines. Finally, employers must post the “Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law!” poster in an employee-accessible location. This poster outlines employee rights and employer responsibilities and also provides OSHA contact information.
Understanding the current OSHA guidelines can be overwhelming, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. OSHA’s Compliance Assistance Quick Start will generate an initial set of compliance materials for your workplace. While these are not comprehensive, they can provide a general set of guidelines to get your company on the right path toward OSHA compliance. Employers can also contact a Compliance Assistance Specialist to schedule an on-site consultation to help identify workplace hazards and provide advice for compliance.
At Clarity HR, we understand how daunting it can be to keep up with the ever-changing OSHA standards while also doing the work of running your company. Our Fractional HR services team for non-union trades understands the importance of worker safety and meeting OSHA requirements. We will help you protect your employees from workplace hazards and health concerns and protect your company from hefty fines as well as help you avoid the damage done by public notice of violations and citations issued.
Our team includes OSHA 30 Certified experts. Our portal can provide some uniform guidelines, but our HR experts can help walk you through your OSHA questions and concerns. Sometimes, having a trusted advisor and a person you can call makes all the difference. The team at Clarity HR are experts you can trust. We know the laws and can help you remain compliant as you navigate the ever-changing OSHA requirements. Our dedicated team is there for you when you need us. We are invested in seeing your business thrive.
Contact us today to learn more!
