It is important for your business to learn about OSHA certification, and to promote it within the company.
OSHA certification is crucial in terms of liability and safety within the workplace. OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
which is a governmental agency designed to promote safety in the workplace. Various work sites have an array of dangerous sounds, smells, and chemicals that can create illnesses, injuries, and even death. Even working for long hours can constitute a deterrent to well-being in terms of mental stress, as well as being more susceptible to disease because of a heavy workload. Machinery and sharp objects can lead to loss of limb, puncture wounds, and other serious accidents. It's crucial that companies recognize what's safe and what's not in order to protect all individuals working there and the company overall.
How OSHA Began
When President Richard M. Nixon was chief of the United States, it came to his attention that many workers were being hurt or even killed on the job. Over four decades ago, he and Congress decided to do something about it. This is when an act called the Occupational Safety and Health Act came to exist.
Voluntary Versus Mandatory
Some workplace safety regulations are mandatory while others are voluntary on the part of the company and employee. It is important that businesses know one from the other in order to protect workers and be compliant with the law.
Inspections Help Promote Safety
One way to assure that a workplace is compliant is by having it inspected. OSHA inspectors visit facilities and make notes on positive and negative aspects of the physical plant. It always helps to have an outsider take a look with fresh eyes. Employees and management may not notice certain potential dangers or might overlook items due to excessive familiarity with the plant and situation.
Protective Equipment
In order to protect physical well-being, protective equipment and gear can be worn. Examples include goggles or safety glasses, gloves, coveralls, bulletproof vests, breathing apparatuses, earplugs, rubber boots, gloves and more. Other safety tools that could help protect workers are fire safety items like extinguishers, alarms, and sprinklers.
Training for Management and Employees
It's important to train management as well as workers regarding OSHA certification rules and regulations. This can be achieved by training a small percentage of the workforce and allowing them to hold trainings for others within the company; it can entail online training courses, DVDs or videos shown to groups and more.
What Workplace Safety Prevention Programs Can Help With
With additional prevention techniques, individuals can avoid losing a limb, going blind, getting lung cancer, inhaling carcinogens and much more.
When workplaces are made safer, everyone wins. Even with all the safety measures, rules and regulations, there is still an abundance of accidents and even deaths in the line of job duties. In the year 2010, over 4,000 Americans died while on the job. This is terrible for the workers, their families, and for the businesses that employ them. OSHA certification is one more way to protect one's company and to protect the well-being of all the workers who toil there.
