Safety/ Risk Management

Work Comp Basics

• Introduction – Why Safety? More Info

So what can safety do for you? The benefits of maintaining a safe work environment are many, but first and foremost, safety is about what you can do to protect your workers. It’s the right thing to do. Employers should send their workers home in the same condition they came in. Why wouldn’t that be important to a company?

But the practice of safety also brings financial benefits to the table. A safe work environment impacts a project’s bottom line both directly and indirectly. Costs associated with incidents, including lost costs, worker’s comp claims, insurance costs and legal fees are minimized in a safe work environment. So are the indirect costs that follow incidents, including the lost productivity that occurs when people turn their attention to dealing with an incident. If you’re doing safety effectively in a business world, it’s going to relate to fewer schedule interruptions, which will minimize your costs.

On the flip side, a safe work environment boosts employee morale, which, in turn, increases productivity, efficiency and profit margins. “When people feel like they have a good, safe work environment, they feel like they can make a difference. There are fewer staff absences, less staff turnover and an improved quality of work.

More information coming soon.

Safety Professional – According to the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSE), to perform their professional functions, safety professionals must have education, training and experience in a common body of knowledge. Safety professionals need to have a fundamental knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, statistics, mathematics, computer science, engineering mechanics, industrial processes, business, communication and psychology. Find the scope and function of a safety professional on the ASSE web site click here

OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA's role is to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

NIOSH - The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. www.cdc.gov

ANSI – American National Standards Institute. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) empowers its members and constituents to strengthen the U.S. marketplace position in the global economy while helping to assure the safety and health of consumers and the protection of the environment. www.ansi.org

ASSE - Founded in 1911, ASSE is the oldest and largest professional safety organization. Its more than 32,000 members manage, supervise and consult on safety, health, and environmental issues in industry, insurance, government and education. www.asse.org

OSHA Office Directory – find information on regional and area offices, state plans and offices, consultation plans and offices, OSHA organization chart. www.osha.gov

State OSHA Plans - Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) encourages States to develop and operate their own job safety and health programs. OSHA approves and monitors State plans. www.osha.gov

Background

What is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's mission?

OSHA's mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Since the agency was created in 1971, occupational deaths have been cut by 62% and injuries have declined by 42%.

How and when was OSHA created?

Congress created OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which was signed by President Richard M. Nixon on December 29, 1970.

How many work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths occur each year in the United States?

In 2005, there were 4.2 million occupational injuries and illnesses among U.S. employees. Approximately 4.6 of every 100 employees experienced a job-related injury or illness, and in 2006, 5,703 employees lost their lives on the job. For more information, go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Website, Safety and Health Statistics page.

Enforcement

What is OSHA's budget, and how many inspectors does the agency have?

OSHA's budget for Fiscal Year 2007 is $486.9 million. The agency has a staff of 2,150, including 1,100 inspectors.

How many inspections does OSHA conduct each year?

OSHA inspected 38,579 workplaces during Fiscal Year 2006. The agency plans to conduct 37,700 inspections in FY 2007. The 26 states running their own OSHA programs conducted an additional 58,058 inspections in FY 2006.

What are OSHA's inspection priorities?

Top priority are reports of imminent dangers-accidents about to happen; second are fatalities or accidents serious enough to send three or more employees to the hospital. Third are employee complaints. Referrals from other government agencies are fourth. Fifth are targeted inspections-such as the Site Specific Targeting Program, which focuses on employers that report high injury and illness rates, and special emphasis programs that zero in on hazardous work such as trenching or equipment such as mechanical power presses. Follow-up inspections are the final priority.

What's the penalty for violating an OSHA standard?

OSHA penalties range from $0 to $70,000, depending upon how likely the violation is to result in serious harm to employees. Other-than-serious violations often carry no penalties but may result in penalties of up to $7,000. Serious violations may have penalties up to $7,000. Repeat and willful violations may have penalties as high as $70,000. Penalties may be discounted if an employer has a small number of employees, has demonstrated good faith, or has few or no previous violations. For more information on OSHA penalties, see Section 17 of the OSH Act or information on penalties in the OSHA Publication All About OSHA {PDF File}.

What if OSHA inspects my workplace and I disagree with the findings?

Employers have the right to contest OSHA citations and/or penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers must file notices of contest within 15 working days of being issued citations.

How can I find out about OSHA inspections of my workplace or other companies?

OSHA maintains an inspection database on this Web site that you can use to search for companies by name or by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. You can limit your search by state or by year if you wish.

Recordkeeping

Who must keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses?

About 1.5 million employers with 11 or more employees-20 percent of the establishments OSHA covers-must keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses. Workplaces in low-hazard industries such as retail, service, finance, insurance, and real estate are exempt from recordkeeping requirements. For more information on recordkeeping, click here.

Compliance Assistance

Do I need to put up an OSHA poster in my workplace? Where can I get a copy?

Yes, all employers must post the federal or a state OSHA poster to provide their employees with information on their safety and health rights. You may order a printed copy from the OSHA Publications Office at (800) 321-OSHA or download and print one from this Web site in English or Spanish.

How can I get help from OSHA to fix hazards in my workplace?

If you are an employer, you may wish to contact the OSHA Consultation Program for your state for free on-site assistance in identifying and correcting hazards or setting up safety and health programs. You can also contact the OSHA Area Office nearest you to speak to the compliance assistance specialist about training and education in job safety and health issues. Another option is OSHA Advisors, interactive software that "walks" you through specific OSHA standards or helps identify potential hazards throughout your workplace. You can also find information on specific topics on the OSHA Web site by using the Alphabetical Subject Indexes, Advanced Search options, or by reviewing featured topics on the main OSHA Home Page.

If you are a worker, you can call the nearest OSHA Area Office, or you can file a complaint online through the OSHA Workers' Page.

How can I get workplace safety and health training from OSHA?

You can contact the nearest OSHA Area Office to speak to the compliance assistance specialist. You also can check out training available at the OSHA Training Institute in the Chicago area or at one of the 20 education centers located at colleges and universities around the nation.

What cooperative programs does OSHA offer?

OSHA's Alliance Program enables employers, labor unions, trade or professional groups, and educational institutions that share an interest in workplace safety and health to collaborate with OSHA to prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace. OSHA and the organization sign a formal agreement with goals that address training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health.

The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program is for employers with varied backgrounds, experience and records in job safety and health. Participants in OSPP share a common commitment to improving workplace safety and health. These partnerships merge the creative ideas and resources of OSHA and stakeholders. OSPP emphasizes training and education in a voluntary, cooperative atmosphere. Tracking results is key to the partnerships.

Voluntary Protection Programs are OSHA's premier partnership programs designed to recognize workplaces with exemplary safety and health programs. VPP participants serve as models of excellence for others in their industries and communities and are exempt from routine OSHA inspections.

Resources

• Utilities and forms More Info
• Web resources, associations, meetings, support groups  More Info
• Listed classes, educational resources, certifications or training More Info
• Links to articles, white papers or research to explain policies and procedures More Info
• Pre-Recorded links to Webinars More Info

Highlighted Partners

• Partners, products or other services available to support and service your needs More Info

Alliance Partnerships

Safety signs, labels, stickers and caution decals
Compliance signs, labels, decals and stickers from OSHA ANSI-compliant company. Need a Temporary Sign? ComplianceSigns.com can help. Download 100+ FREE Safety Signs.
www.compliancesigns.com

Indiana Subcontractors Association (ISA)
The Indiana Subcontractors Association (ISA) promotes the interests of area subcontractors and material suppliers. Safety Management Group provides members of ISA special pricing rates for safety training and program development.
www.indianasubcontractors.org

Jobsite Supply - Concrete Forming & Shoring, Safety Training, Decorative Concrete and Construction Rentals
Jobsite Supply has grown from one the Midwest's leading concrete forming and shoring providers to a premier supplier to the entire US market, along with safety training and a full line of decorative concrete supplies.
www.jobsitesupply.com

NUCA of Indiana
NUCA of Indiana
www.nucaofindiana.com

Us Safety Depot
Safety Management Group has created an important strategic alliance to offer clients a reliable technical resource for safety-related equipment. As part of this alliance, Safety Management Group and U.S. Safety Depot have begun a partnership to compliment each other's services while offering pricing incentives for existing customers.
www.ussafetydepot.com