As the New Year begins, it is always good to review. The following list is a summary of the most important employer responsibilities related to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:
- Provide a workplace free from serious recognized hazards and comply with standards, rules and regulations issued under OSHA.
- Examine workplace conditions to make sure they conform to applicable OSHA standards.
- Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment.
- Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards.
- Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.
- Provide medical examinations and training when required by OSHA standards.
- At a prominent location within the workplace, post the OSHA poster (or the state-plan equivalent) informing employees of their rights and responsibilities.
- Notify OSHA of all work-related fatalities within eight hours and of all work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours.
- Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses. (Note: Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in certain industries are exempt from this requirement.)
- Provide employees, former employees and their representatives access to the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300).
- Provide access to employee medical records and exposure records to employees or their authorized representatives.
- Provide to the OSHA compliance officer the names of authorized employee representatives who may be asked to accompany the compliance officer during an inspection.
- Not discriminate against employees who exercise their rights under the Act.
- Post OSHA citations at or near the work area involved. Each citation must remain posted until the violation has been corrected, or for three working days, whichever is longer. Post abatement verification documents or tags.
- Correct cited violations by the deadline set in the OSHA citation and submit required abatement verification documentation.
For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
