Workplace Safety and OSHA Compliance: Protecting Your Business

Investing in safety is an excellent return on investment as it protects your business investment in your property and workforce.

A safe environment gives you and your staff peace of mind, enhances your health, and creates a positive workplace atmosphere. All of this contributes to a productive workforce.

Safety is also about minimizing mental stress. Turnover can often be traced back to stress, and turnover means losing a trained individual, retraining, and added expense.

Lack of safety emphasis in the workplace leads to inattention, which in turn leads to safety hazards. This negative safety cycle is complete, as inattention leads to accidents.

Also, a lack of emphasis on safety in the workplace leads to poor work, which can affect the business’s bottom line.

Finally, a company’s poor performance, employee issues, and poor quality of work will damage its reputation. This can lead to poor customer reviews and loss of clientele.

Of course, safety measures depend upon your line of business/work, the equipment used, the materials handled, etc. Potential safety issues are measurably different between a construction site and an office setting.

However, the overall emphasis is to ensure the safety of the employees and the public.

In an office setting:

• • Keep work areas uncluttered.
  • Take breaks following HR policies.
  • Wear appropriate attire.
  • Report unsafe conditions.
  • Clean up spills immediately and utilize OSHA-approved caution signage.
  • Follow proper equipment usage.
  • Complete safety training.
  • Ensuring clear emergency exits.
  • Familiarize employees with emergency procedures.
  • Report and replace frayed electrical cords or other unsafe electrical issues.
  • Use ergonomically correct processes.

This list of cautionary safety issues is in no way exhaustive.

For additional assistance, With Purpose LLC can help you write your policies and procedures.

A brief overview of OSHA can be reviewed at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/3439at-a-glance.pdf.

If OSHA comes knocking at your business door. How should your business respond to an OSHA visit?

• • Notify the supervisor, manager, project superintendent, owner, etc.
  • Ask for credentials and write down that ID information.
  • They should identify the purpose of the visit.
  • Take notes and take photos.
  • Ask if you or your attorney can accompany the officer if it is a complaint.
  • Accompany the OSHA representative.
  • Be polite and courteous.
  • Only answer questions asked – don’t admit guilt.
  • If a non-complaint, you can ask for a delay if management or supervisors are unavailable.
  • Fix any issues immediately if possible.
  • Anticipate a closing conference.

Interested in learning more about OSHA and safety and what it looks like to implement it in your business? Contact With Purpose today to see how we can help you and your team build and execute a safe working environment.

Check out these additional articles to learn how to keep your team safe and implement these processes.

20 Workplace Safety Rules and Tips To Know