When it comes to safety, cutting costs and corners should never be an option. As business wonders and CEOs of experience can attest, the cost of ensuring worker safety and proper training is nothing compared to the cost legal settlements and hospital bills should an accident befall one of your workers.
The safety and security of those at work is also something required by law, and compliance to it is non-negotiable. For this very reason, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, was created. The organization has conducted classes, provides inspections and certifications, and sets the standards for safety and sanitation since its establishment. Recently, their services has gone digital with the offering of Online OSHA Compliance Training in just about every field in the private sector.
In this article, we will be discussing the what OSHA is and why Online OSHA Compliance Training is essential for your certification and overall safety in the workplace:
What is OSHA?
In 1970, the United States Congress Passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a law which provided the standards and metrics private and public businesses need to abide by in order to ensure that the workplace is a safe and clean place for workers.
To monitor this and provide the necessary tools companies need to fully comply, OSHA was created.
The OSHA Organization
OSHA falls under the control of the US Department of Labor. The administrator of the organization is the known as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. The administrator is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Health, who in turn is a member of the President’s Cabinet.
The OSHA Coverage
The OSHA Act applies to most of the private sector businesses and additionally some public sector employers and employees as well. It covers 50 states as well as other territories that fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
The OSHA Mission
As stated, the OSHA oversees the compliance of businesses to the standards of safety and cleanliness in an effort to provide workers with a happy and risk-free place to work. It also aims to educate business on safety and ergonomics — through training, outreach, and lectures –, and provide assistance in the form of counseling.
A common thing many employers feel is that compliance to the OSHA standards is a costly and unnecessary practice which only takes time away from productivity and is a form of red tape. Nothing could be further from the truth — the OSHA standards, when followed, is actually a cost saving practice as it minimizes any work-related injuries that could lead to expensive medical bills, and even law suits. Its services also extend to ergonomics consultancy which has been shown to increase productivity and drive up profits in the long-run.
What are the OSHA Standards?
The OSHA Industry Standards are organized into 5 categories: General Industry, Construction, Maritime, Agriculture, and Federal Employee Programs. The standards in these industries go along the line of safe guarding hazardous chemicals as well as setting limits to exposure and proper disposal practices. The standards also requirements in handling heavy equipment and the supplying of protective gears that prevent injury.
Other standards includes the requirements when handling substances like asbestos, proper safety equipment in caves and unstable structures, the prevention on the spread of infectious diseases, and the training of employees to practice care when performing their work. Where no standard applies to a certain hazard, employers must still comply with the General Duty Clause of the OSHA Act which states that the the workplace must be free of unrecognized hazards.
Importance of OSHA Compliance?
The first and foremost thing to understand about the importance of compliance to the OSHA Standards is that it is not optional. If your business is to operate it need to follow the rules set and pass the requirements the OSHA has laid out. This is why Online OSHA Compliance Training is a must for any employer looking to be certified as it imparts to you all the training and knowledge needed for your business.
Other benefits that make OSHA Compliance important include:
It helps with employee retention.
When employees feel safe and comfortable in their workplace they don’t see the need to find work elsewhere. This is especially the case in heavy industry and mining jobs where the work can potentially be life threatening. The higher levels of employee satisfaction keeps your workers in their jobs and minimizes the cost if having to hire and retrain newbies whenever someone leaves the company due to poor working conditions.
It increases employee productivity.
The compliance and assurance of OSHA standards for safety and health means workers feel at ease in their jobs and perform task with precision and efficiency. The ease and peace of mind the security gives make doing the tasks assigned to them with productivity and even pleasure.
Another way in which OSHA Compliance increase the overall productivity of the workers in in providing employers with ergonomics training and consultancy. These improves the workplace layout to ensure a smooth flow of the operations. Ergonomics also looks into managing employee stress levels and understanding what the company can do better in terms of work fulfilment and satisfaction.
It improves the company’s finances.
Along with the mitigation of work-related lawsuits and the paying of work-related injuries, the increase of productivity leads to a reduction of company waste, employee mistakes, and hiccups on the production line. This leads to an increase in output and output quality which is only beneficial on the company’s finances.
Lower injury rates and less accidents also means lower insurance premiums which can take up a good chunk of the business’ safety budget.
It benefits the company’s reputation and branding.
In an era where the consumer is more concerned over the ethics of the company they’re patronizing, any injuries or harm that comes to the employees will be a public relations disaster for a business. Especially if that incident could have been avoided if the company followed the OSHA standards for safety and health.
Having certification with the OSHA means that customers can trust your brand as a socially conscious and rule-abiding business. This minimizes the possibilities of scandals while adding to your company’s reputation for excellence.
OSHA certification can also serve as a selling point in business deals and agreements with multi-national or local business looking to engage in work with only the most well-equipped establishments.
The Importance of Online OSHA Compliance Training?
Now that is has been established why a certificate from the OSHA is not just essential in being able to operate, but beneficial in your long-term success as a business owner, It is time to delve into why you must undergo Online OSHA Compliance Training in order to deliver the needed standards.
The requirements and procedures set by the OSHA varies from industry to industry, training can provide you with the knowledge needed to ensure the workplace is a safe place to operate, and teach your employees the procedures and practices that will keep them free from injury and harm.
Training is not only a requirement set by the OSHA as a legally mandated action, it is also an investment into your company’s long-term sustainability. Some the the things you can learn when taking an Online OSHA Compliance Training includes but is not limited to:
Implementing a Fire Prevention Plan
An Online OSHA Compliance Training course can inform you on how to implement a fire prevention plan that will keep your workers and company properties safe. It can teach you to identify and report fire hazards and ignition sources which need to be addressed in order to prevent combustion.
It also points out safeguards to install which will minimize the damage in the event of a fire. These things inlude fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and water hoses. It can also train employees on what to do in the event of a fire and how to go about evacuating the premises.
Injury and Illness Prevention Programs
In order to prevent injuries illnesses, or worse from occurring in the workplace, establishing safety procedure and providing protective equipment to those handling dangerous machines is a must. Knowing which machines can potentially cause harm, which chemicals can cause illnesses, how to sanitize facilities to prevent the spread of diseases, and what protective gears are needed in the production floor can only be taught in Online OSHA Compliance Trainings.
Such things vary depending on the industry and trainings are specially suited to each industries needs in terms of safety.
Occupational Noise Exposure Protection
Especially in heavy industry, noise pollution can cause annoyance and discomfort for those in the immediate vicinity and even hearing impairment in those exposed to it for long periods of time. Online OSHA Compliance Training helps you identify whether or not your business operations create occupational noise and how to protect your workers from suffering the effects of prolonged exposure.
Proper Handling of Flammable and Hazardous Materials
Mismanagement of flammable and toxic materials can lead to things like fires, environmental degradation, and health and safety risks which puts the company at risk of backlash and of legal repercussions. Ensuring that flammable and hazardous materials are handled is not only the socially responsible, its also a wise business choice that saves the company from potentially disastrous scenarios.
Online OSHA Compliance Training will identify what are the hazardous materials in your business and how to handle them with care.
Waste Management
The news is wrought with companies being liked to environmental scandals due to their poor waste management. Improper disposal of waste, especially hazardous waste, can ruin the surrounding ecology, depreciate land value, and put lives and health at risk.
To know how to avoid such a scandal falling on you and your business, Online OSHA Compliance Training can teach you on the procedures and techniques of waste management that is safe for all those concerned.
Emergency Response
The news is also filled with tragedies which costed lives and money that could have been prevented if the company would have invested in proper emergency response measures. In the event of a calamity, Online OSHA Compliance Training for you and your employees will provide you with the knowledge of what to do and/or how to mitigate the aftermath. This part of the training can save lives and properties and should not be overlooked in terms of importance.
Quick Review
Let’s summarize all that we have learned so far on the importance of Online OSHA Compliance Training:
What is OSHA and What Does it Do?
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA
- It was created by the US Congress under the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970
- OSHA oversees the compliance of businesses to the standards of safety and cleanliness in an effort to provide workers with a happy and risk-free place to work. It also aims to educate business on safety and ergonomics — through training, outreach, and lectures –, and provide assistance in the form of counseling.
What are the Benefits of Complying with OSHA Standards?
- It helps with employee retention by providing a safe place to work.
- It increases employee productivity by putting workers’ minds at ease and improving workflow.
- It improves the company’s finances buy minimizing the chance of injury lawsuits and increasing worker productivity.
- It benefits the company’s reputation and branding as it means the company looks out for their workers and cares about things like safety.
Why is it Important to Get an Online OSHA Compliance Training?
- The requirements and procedures set by the OSHA varies from industry to industry, training can provide you with the knowledge needed to ensure the workplace is a safe place to operate, and teach your employees the procedures and practices that will keep them free from injury and harm.
- It can impart in you such important lessons and skills like: Implementing a Fire Prevention Plan, Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, Occupational Noise Exposure Protection, Proper Handling of Flammable and Hazardous Materials, Proper Waste Management, and Good Emergency Responses.
The Online OSHA compliance training can provide one of the most essential things a company can undergo to ensure its own safety and security. Without these rules, workers today would be only a little better of that those poor souls who labored in factories at the degradation of their own health during the industrial revolution.. Safe and happy workers, in the end, has proven to lead to prosperous and stable enterprises.
