The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced on Monday that it has updated the agency’s voluntary “Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines” for the first time since they were created in 1989. The guidelines have been updated to reflect changes in technology and practices.

OSHA created the original guidelines and released the updates to help employers establish safety and health management plans at their workplaces. They are intended to be advisory and not create any new legal obligations or alter existing obligations created by OSHA standards or regulations.

The updated guidelines represent OSHA’s current thinking as to what makes a successful safety and health program. They contain information that will assist small- and medium-sized businesses create and implement these programs, including:  

• more effective approaches to workplace safety and health;
• assisting employers with identifying and correcting hazards before they cause injury, illness or death; and
• ways to encourage employee participation.

OSHA is accepting comments on the update until February 15, 2016. The request for comments can be found here. IDFA will review the revised guidelines and determine appropriate next steps.

For more information, contact Emily Lyons, IDFA director of regulatory affairs and counsel, at elyons@idfa.org.