OSHA has just released a new draft to its Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines. The guidelines were originally published in 1989. After taking into account best practices and successful approaches under the Voluntary Protection Program and the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, as well as building on the old guidelines, OSHA is asking for public comment on the new version. Public comment can be made until February 15, 2016.
According the OSHA website, the new guidelines include:
- A proactive approach to finding and fixing hazards before they cause injury, illness or death
- Improved safety and health in all types of workplaces
- Help for small and medium-sized businesses to effectively protect their workers
- Increase worker involvement, so all workers have a voice in workplace safety and health
- Better communication and coordination on multi-employer worksites
A blog on ehsworks1.blogspot.com states OSHA Administrator David Michaels as saying: “These guidelines will help small and medium-sized employers find and fix hazards before workers are injured, become ill or are killed. Engaging more employers in injury and illness prevention—which is at the heart of these guidelines—has the potential for shifting the curve on safety culture in America,”
Take a moment to review this document to see how it might help your organization stay safe. OSHA did state that the guidelines are not a new standard or regulation and do not create any new legal obligations or alter existing obligations created by OSHA standards or regulations.
