Occupational Health and Safety

Guide to OSHA Requirements for Small Business

How to meet the regulations on a safe and healthful workplace
By Judith Earley

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration guards against hazards in the workplace, particularly in construction and manufacturing. Its inspectors may show up at a business without warning and can hand out heavy fines. Employees have a right to see a compliance plan for their company that promises:

1. A workplace that is free from serious, recognized hazards and complies with standards issued under the OSHA Act.
2. Assurance that employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Conduct safety inspections Walk through your business and check all chemical container labels, fuse boxes, fire extinguishers, noise levels, air quality levels and obstructed views. Make sure that desk chairs and computer work stations are ergonomically compliant. Tornado, fire, flood and earthquake procedures and evacuation routes or shelters must be clearly posted.

I recommend:  The OSHA Safety and Health Topics break down the rules on more than 150 categories with relevant reference and training materials.

Identify hazards Asking yourself 'what if' questions is an effective way to assess workplace potential for chemical, physical, ergonomic and biological hazards. Make a check list of hazard violations and the date each was corrected.

I recommend:  Train to recognize hazards with OSHA's eTools.

Establish safety rules Regularly review rules with your employees to determine if they are not only understandable but absolutely necessary. Too many safety rules can cause employees to ignore them.

I recommend:  OSHASafety.com is a great place to purchase a basic, 65-page safety manual that is applicable to any type of business. Manuals can be tailored from there by choosing one of 66 additional chapters to add to the back of the book.

Train employees New employees should complete training upon being hired, and all employees should participate in annual safety training.

I recommend:  Find safety training videos and DVDs on AllAboutOsha.com. A variety of programs are offered and each one includes a 12- to 25-minute training session, a comprehensive leader's guide, reproducible scheduling and attendance forms, employee quizzes, training certificates and training log. Programs are available in both English and Spanish.

Implement thorough record keeping and reporting systems With a few exceptions for specific industries, most companies with 11 or more employees must keep injury and illness records.

I recommend:  Download the OSHA Recordkeeping Handbook.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Purchase a copy of national OSHA guidelines and those for your state.
• Read up and know what OSHA requires.
• Inspect and correct all recognizable health and accident hazards.
• Review workplace regulations for clarity and necessity and thoroughly train all current employees and new hires.
• Prominently post safety regulations and emergency procedures.
• Keep an accurate accounting of work related incidents for each employee.