The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently finalized and released a set of “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs.” The recommendations update OSHA’s 1989 guidelines to reflect changes in the economy and workplaces, as well as evolving safety and health issues.
The recommended programs are not prescriptive and, while generic to all industries, can be adapted to suit a particular workplace in any industry.
The OSHA recommendations include seven core elements for a safety and health program:
- Management leadership
- Worker participation
- Hazard identification and assessment
- Hazard prevention and control
- Education and training
- Program evaluation and improvement
- Communication and coordination for host employers, contractors and staffing agencies
The recommendations are advisory only and do not create any new legal obligations or alter existing obligations created by OSHA standards or regulations.
For more information, contact Emily Lyons, IDFA director of regulatory affairs and counsel, at elyons@idfa.org.