The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) teamed up with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to revise a workplace safety handbook for small business employers.
The Small Business Safety and Health Handbook details how to implement an effective safety and health program, including self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards and review safety and health resources for small businesses.
“The revised Small Business Handbook is a valuable tool to help employers identify where to take action to make their workplaces safer and more healthful for their employees,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick in a release. “Safety has to be a continuous process that involves preventing injuries and illnesses, and saving lives.”
The checklists provide guidance for various work processes in general industry workplaces, such as fire protection, hazard communication, permit-required confined spaces, respiratory protection, and walking-working surfaces. They are not intended for construction or maritime industries. Below is the checklist for compressed gas cylinders:
The handbook also lists OSHA and NIOSH resources employers can use to recognize and correct safety and health hazards in the workplace, including the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program. There is also information about whistleblower protection laws, training through OSHA’s education centers, and professional occupational safety and health associations with local chapters that small businesses can join.