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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration works hard to ensure that every employee in the United States has safe working conditions and the tools they need to prevent an accident. When OSHA inspects a workplace or receives a report of injury or illness, they collect that data to provide further information to employers to help improve workplace quality. These are the top 10 most cited standards that needed to be addressed after a report at the beginning of 2016. Consider how you can be of service to your clients when it comes to safety and OSHA standards.

Fall protection.

Falls appear to be the number one cause of injuries in the workplace. Having the proper fall prevention plan in place will help keep your employees safe. Consider the recommendations from OSHA and create a program that works.

Hazard communication.

Another concern that was found with OSHA’s inspections was a lack of communication regarding hazards in the workplace. Regardless of how safe you consider your facility, it is imperative that training occur at all levels of employment.

Scaffolding.

If you utilize scaffolding, OSHA would like you to consider the safety implications of allowing employees to climb. What are the safety standards for using scaffolding and how do you ensure the safety of your staff.

Respiratory protection.

Clean air can be a major issue in some work environments. Employers are required to provide the proper tools to ensure that their workers are breathing safely. This may involve frequent breaks or respirators.

Lockout/tagout.

While this standard’s title sounds complication, what it covers is a situation where an employee needs to make physical contact with a machine for repair or maintenance. If that machine were to accidentally start up or discharge energy, it could harm an employee.

Powered industrial trucks.

This standard surrounds the use and maintenance of powered vehicles used in the workplace. These include forklifts, palate trucks, cherry pickers, and more. Maintaining safety standards when it comes to vehicles is imperative.

Ladders.

Of course, much like scaffolding, OSHA discovered several issues involving ladders. The safe use of ladders by trained and competent employees will increase your overall productivity and safety methods in the facility.

Electrical wiring methods.

While most employees won’t ever be accessing the electrical wiring of your company’s machinery, the safety of this is important for everyone. Making sure that the organization is up to date with electrical code is a good practice.

Machine guarding.

Some hazards regarding machines in the workplace can be solved by simply installing the proper guard railings or safety measures. If OSHA inspections returned several citations for this, it means that businesses can do more to ensure machine safety.

Electrical general requirements.

Again, it is important to note that electrical requirements are behind the scenes but affect everyone in the business environment. Safety is essential, but the citations show that it isn’t always address.

 

Can you help your clients address these important safety issues in their facilities?

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