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Consultation: Free On-Site
Safety and Health Services
Using a free consultation service largely funded by the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), employers can find out about potential hazards at their
worksites, improve their occupational safety and health management systems, and even
qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections.
The service is delivered by state governments using well-trained professional staff. Most
consultations take place on-site, though limited services away from the worksite are
available.
Primarily targeted for smaller businesses, this safety and health consultation program is
completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort. In addition, no citations are issued
or penalties proposed.
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It's confidential, too. Your name, your firm's name, and any information you provide about
your workplace, plus any unsafe or unhealthful working conditions that the consultant
uncovers, will not be reported routinely to the OSHA inspection staff.
Your only obligation will be to commit yourself to correcting serious job safety and health
hazards -- a commitment which you are expected to make prior to the actual visit and
carry out in a timely manner.
How To Get Started
Because consultation is a voluntary activity, you must request it. Your telephone call or
letter sets the consulting machinery in motion. The consultant will discuss your specific
needs with you and set up a visit date based on the priority assigned to your request,
your work schedule, and the time needed for the consultant to adequately prepare to
serve you. OSHA encourages a complete review of your firm's safety and health situation;
however, if you wish you may limit the visit to one or more specific problems.
Opening Conference
When the consultant arrives at your worksite for the scheduled visit, he or she will first
meet with you in an opening conference to briefly review the consultant's role and the
obligation you incur as an employer.
Walk Through
Together, you and the consultant will examine conditions in your workplace. OSHA
strongly encourages maximum employee participation in the walk-through. Better informed
and more alert employees can more easily work with you to identify and correct potential
injury and illness hazards in your workplace. Talking with employees during the
walk-through helps the consultant identify and judge the nature and extent of specific
hazards.
The consultant will study your entire workplace or the specific operations you designate
and discuss the applicable OSHA standards. Consultants also will point out other safety or
health risks that might not be cited under OSHA standards, but nevertheless may pose
safety or health risks to your employees. They may suggest and even provide other
measures such as self-inspection and safety and health training you and your employees
can use to prevent future hazardous situations.
A comprehensive consultation also includes (1) appraisal of all mechanical and
environmental hazards and physical work practices, (2) appraisal of the present job
safety and health program or establishment of one, (3) a conference with management
on findings, (4) a written report of recommendations and agreements, and (5) training
and assistance with implementing recommendations.
Closing Conference
The consultant will then review detailed findings with you in a closing conference. You will
learn not only what you need to improve, but also what you are doing right. At that time
you can discuss problems, possible solutions and abatement periods to eliminate or
control any serious hazards identified during the walk-through.
In rare instances, the consultant may find an "imminent danger" situation during the
walk-through. If so, you must take immediate action to protect all employees. In certain
other situations that would be judged a "serious violation" under OSHA criteria, you and
the consultant are required to develop and agree to a reasonable plan and schedule to
eliminate or control that hazard. The consultants will offer general approaches and
options to you. They may also suggest other sources for technical help.
Abatement and Follow Through
Following the closing conference, the consultant will send you a detailed written report
explaining the findings and confirming any abatement periods agreed upon. Consultants
may also contact you from time to time to check your progress. You, of course, may
always contact them for assistance.
Ultimately, OSHA requires hazard abatement so that each consultation visit achieves its
objective -- effective employee protection. If you fail to eliminate or control identified
serious hazards (or an imminent danger) according to the plan and within the limits
agreed upon or an agreed-upon extension, the situation must be referred from
consultation to an OSHA enforcement office for appropriate action. This has rarely
occurred in the past.
Benefits
Knowledge of your workplace hazards and ways to eliminate them can only improve your
own operations and the management of your firm. You will get professional advice and
assistance on the correction of workplace hazards and benefit from on-site training and
assistance provided by the consultant to you and your employees. The consultant can
help you establish or strengthen an employee safety and health program, making safety
and health activities routine considerations rather than crisis-oriented responses. In many
states, employers may participate in the
OSHA Consultation SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program).
This program provides incentives
and support to smaller, high-hazard employers to develop, implement and continuously
improve effective safety and health programs at their worksite(s). The program
recognizes employers who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in workplace
safety and health by receiving a comprehensive safety and health consultation visit,
correcting all workplace safety and health hazards, adopting and implementing effective
safety and health management systems, and agreeing to request further consultative
visits if major changes in working conditions or processes occur that may introduce new
hazards. Employers meeting these specific program requirements may be exempt from
general scheduled OSHA inspections for one year.
The On-Site Consultants Will:
- Help you recognize hazards in your workplace
- Suggest general approaches or options for solving a safety or health problem
- Identify kinds of help available if you need further assistance
- Provide you a written report summarizing findings
- Assist you to develop or maintain an effective safety and health program
- Provide training and education for you and your employees
- Recommend you for a one-year exclusion from OSHA programmed inspections, once
program criteria are met.
The On-Site Consultants Will Not:
- Issue citations or propose penalties for violations of OSHA standards.
- Report possible violations to OSHA enforcement staff.
- Guarantee that your workplace will "pass" an OSHA inspection.
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