Introduction to OSHA Video

Summary

This video by National Safety Compliance educates viewers on OSHA's role in safeguarding the US workforce. It covers OSHA's history, standards, record-keeping requirements, enforcement methods, and compliance strategies. The video highlights OSHA's impact, reducing workplace fatalities by over 60% and injuries by 40%. It also discusses the importance of written programs, hazard assessments, and training to maintain workplace safety, emphasizing the significance of compliance in preventing citations and penalties.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was established in 1970 to create a nationwide program to protect workers from job-related death, injury, and illness.
• 🛡️ OSHA's mission is comprehensive, including setting safety and health standards, conducting inspections, maintaining recordkeeping, and conducting research on occupational safety and health.
• 🚨 OSHA uses enforcement, outreach education, compliance assistance, and partnerships to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths.
• 📉 Since 1971, OSHA has significantly contributed to reducing workplace fatalities by over 60% and occupational injury and illness rates by 40%.
• 🏢 The Occupational Safety and Health Act covers most private sector employers and their employees, with some exceptions like self-employed individuals and certain federal agency workers.
• 📋 OSHA issues standards that require employers to maintain safe conditions and adopt practices necessary to protect workers, including the provision and use of personal protective equipment.
• 📝 Employers are legally required to comply with all OSHA standards and regulations, including maintaining accurate records of workplace injuries and illnesses as per CFR 1904.
• 🔍 OSHA conducts inspections, often without advance notice, to identify unsafe conditions and issue citations and penalties if violations are found.
• 🛑 Employers can avoid citations and penalties by establishing and maintaining written programs that cover most OSHA standards and ensuring they are current and utilized.
• 👷‍♂️ Training is a critical component of OSHA compliance, with requirements for almost all standards, emphasizing the importance of documenting training to ensure effectiveness.
• 📚 The provided workbook offers additional information on various OSHA standards and safety topics, serving as a resource but not a substitute for legal advice.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970?

The purpose of the OSHA Act of 1970 was to establish a nationwide Federal program to protect almost the entire workforce from job-related death, injury, and illness by creating standardized regulations and guidelines for workplace safety and health.

What was the situation of workplace safety before the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed?

Before the OSHA Act, job safety and health issues were mainly decided by individual companies without standardized regulations or guidelines. Some companies worked to create safe workplaces, while others saw it as a financial burden and unnecessary, leading to a hit-and-miss approach to employee health and safety.

What is the role of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?

OSHA is the federal agency established to administer the Occupational Safety and Health Act. It is responsible for creating and enforcing occupational safety and health standards, conducting inspections and investigations, ensuring employers maintain records of occupational injuries and illnesses, and conducting research related to occupational safety and health.

How does OSHA help to reduce injuries, illnesses, and deaths on the job?

OSHA uses three basic strategies: enforcement that is strong, fair, and effective; providing outreach education and compliance assistance; and utilizing partnerships, alliances, and other cooperative and voluntary programs.

What progress has been made in occupational health and safety since OSHA's creation?

Since OSHA's creation in 1971, there has been substantial progress, with workplace fatalities cut by more than 60% and occupational injury and illness rates by 40%, despite an increase in the US employment from 56 million to over 135 million employees.

What are OSHA standards and why are they important for employers?

OSHA standards are mandated laws and rules that require employers to maintain conditions or adopt practices necessary to protect workers on the job. Employers must be familiar with and comply with these standards applicable to their establishments and ensure that employees have and use personal protective equipment when required.

Which states have their own job safety and health programs approved by OSHA?

There are currently 22 states and jurisdictions operating complete State plans covering both the private sector and state and local government employees, and four states (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and the Virgin Islands) which cover public employees only.

What are the types of violations for which an employer can be fined under OSHA standards?

There are eight types of violations for which an employer can be fined, and penalties can range from $0 to $500,000 depending on the type and severity of the violation. Additional penalties can be imposed for violations such as falsifying records, reports, or applications, and assaulting or interfering with a compliance officer.

What is the importance of maintaining records on workplace injuries and illnesses as per the OSHA Act?

Maintaining records on workplace injuries and illnesses is essential for an effective national program of prevention. It allows the Secretary of Labor to compile accurate statistics and make periodic reports on such occurrences, which helps in identifying trends and areas for improvement in workplace safety.

What steps can employers take to avoid receiving citations and penalties from OSHA?

Employers can avoid citations and penalties by establishing and maintaining written programs that cover most OSHA standards, ensuring that these programs are current, utilized, reviewed, and updated as necessary. Additionally, conducting hazard assessments, providing appropriate personal protective equipment, and ensuring proper training and documentation of training are crucial.

What is the significance of training in compliance with OSHA standards?

Training is a critical aspect of OSHA compliance, as OSHA imposes training and education requirements for almost all standards. Documentation of training helps determine who needs additional training, when updates are necessary, and can evaluate employee work performance. An accurate and complete training program can significantly benefit a company in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to OSHA and Workplace Safety

Jim Bratton introduces the National Safety Compliance program, aiming to educate on OSHA standards and health and safety issues in various workplaces. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is highlighted as a landmark legislation that established a nationwide federal program to protect employees from job-related injuries and illnesses. The video will cover OSHA's history, its protective standards, recordkeeping requirements, enforcement mechanisms, compliance strategies, and additional relevant information for companies. The evolution of workplace health and safety from the Industrial Revolution to the present day is also discussed, emphasizing the continuous need for updated standards and guidelines due to new technologies and workforce dynamics.

05:01

🛡️ OSHA Standards and Enforcement

This paragraph delves into the specifics of OSHA standards, which are mandatory requirements designed to protect workers. Employers must be familiar with and comply with these standards, including providing personal protective equipment when necessary. The Occupational Safety and Health Act's jurisdiction is explained, covering private sector employers and employees in the U.S., with some states operating their own OSHA-approved programs. The importance of recordkeeping for workplace injuries and illnesses is underscored, as is the role of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in compiling this data. OSHA's enforcement methods, including inspections, citations, and penalties, are detailed, highlighting the agency's efforts to ensure compliance and workplace safety.

10:02

🚨 OSHA Inspections and Compliance

The process of OSHA inspections is outlined, from the priority system used to determine which workplaces are inspected to the steps taken during an inspection. Employers are advised on how to respond to OSHA compliance officers, emphasizing cooperation to ensure worker safety. The types of violations and corresponding penalties are explained, with a focus on the importance of having established written programs for key OSHA standards. The necessity of hazard assessments and personal protective equipment is also discussed, along with the documentation required to demonstrate compliance and avoid penalties.

15:04

🎓 Training and Documentation for OSHA Compliance

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of training and documentation in meeting OSHA standards. It stresses that employers must not only have written programs but also ensure they are current, utilized, and updated. The significance of hazard assessment and personal protective equipment standards is reiterated, along with the need for written certifications of assessments. Training is identified as a critical component of OSHA compliance, with the suggestion that all training be documented regardless of specific OSHA requirements. The video concludes by highlighting the workbook provided with the video, which offers additional information on various OSHA standards and safety topics, and reminds viewers that the information is not legal advice but is intended to provide insight and guidance.

Keywords

💡OSHA

OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is the main federal agency responsible for enforcing safety and health regulations in the workplace. It plays a central role in the video as the primary entity that sets and enforces standards to protect employees from job-related injuries and illnesses. The video explains OSHA's history, standards, enforcement, and compliance strategies.

💡Occupational Safety and Health Act

The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a legislation passed by Congress in 1970. It established a nationwide federal program aimed at protecting the workforce from job-related death, injury, and illness. The video discusses the Act's purpose and its role in creating OSHA, emphasizing its importance in setting a standardized approach to workplace safety.

💡Standards

In the context of the video, 'standards' refer to the regulations set by OSHA that employers must follow to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. These standards are legally enforceable and cover a wide range of workplace safety and health issues. The video mentions that employers must be familiar with and comply with these standards relevant to their establishments.

💡Recordkeeping

Recordkeeping is the process of maintaining records on workplace injuries and illnesses, as required by OSHA. The video highlights the importance of recordkeeping as part of OSHA's strategy to monitor and improve workplace safety. It mentions CFR 1904, which is the specific regulation governing the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses.

💡Enforcement

Enforcement in the video refers to OSHA's strategy of ensuring compliance with safety and health standards through inspections, citations, and penalties. The video explains that OSHA uses enforcement as one of its three basic strategies to reduce injuries, illnesses, and deaths on the job, emphasizing the importance of compliance to avoid legal consequences.

💡Compliance

Compliance is the act of conforming to OSHA's standards and regulations. The video discusses various ways employers can achieve compliance, such as through written programs, hazard assessments, and training. Compliance is crucial for avoiding citations and penalties and ensuring a safe workplace.

💡Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE refers to specialized clothing or equipment worn by workers to protect them from workplace hazards. The video mentions CFR 1910.132, which sets standards for the use of PPE and requires employers to assess the workplace to determine the need for PPE. It is a key component of a safe work environment.

💡Hazard Communication

Hazard Communication is a standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) that requires employers to inform employees about the hazards of chemicals in the workplace. The video emphasizes the importance of this standard, which is part of the written programs that companies must have in place to ensure employee safety.

💡Training

Training is highlighted in the video as a critical aspect of OSHA compliance. It involves educating employees about safety procedures, hazard recognition, and the proper use of equipment. The video notes that OSHA imposes training requirements for almost all standards, and proper documentation of training is essential for compliance.

💡Inspections

Inspections are a method used by OSHA to enforce standards and ensure workplace safety. The video describes how OSHA conducts inspections, often without advance notice, to identify unsafe or unhealthful conditions. Inspections are a key part of OSHA's enforcement strategy and are used to identify violations and issue citations and penalties.

💡Citations and Penalties

Citations and penalties are administrative actions taken by OSHA when an employer is found to be in violation of safety and health standards. The video explains the types of violations and the corresponding penalties, which can range from $0 to $500,000 depending on the severity of the violation. Citations inform employers and employees of the alleged violations, while penalties serve as a deterrent for non-compliance.

Highlights

Introduction to National Safety Compliance and the purpose of the program to provide basic information about OSHA standards and workplace health and safety issues.

History of OSHA, including the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act aimed at establishing a nationwide federal program to protect the workforce.

The evolution of workplace health and safety from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, emphasizing the need for revised standards with new technologies and workforce changes.

Establishment of OSHA in 1971 as a special agency within the Labor Department to administer the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

OSHA's comprehensive purposes, including the establishment of occupational safety and health standards, inspections, investigations, and research.

OSHA's three basic strategies for reducing injuries, illnesses, and deaths on the job: enforcement, outreach education, and compliance assistance, and partnerships.

Progress made by OSHA since 1971, including a significant reduction in workplace fatalities and injury and illness rates.

OSHA standards requiring employers to maintain safe conditions and adopt practices necessary to protect workers, including the provision of personal protective equipment.

Coverage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, including private sector employers and employees in the 50 states and certain territories under federal authority.

State plans for job safety and health programs, with 22 states and jurisdictions operating complete state plans and four covering public employees only.

Exemptions from the OSH Act, including self-employed individuals, family members of farm employers, and certain workers regulated by other federal agencies.

The importance of recordkeeping for workplace injuries and illnesses as mandated by OSHA, and the role of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in compiling statistics.

OSHA's enforcement methods, including workplace inspections, citations, penalties, and the process for conducting inspections and investigations.

The priority system OSHA uses for conducting inspections, focusing on imminent danger situations, catastrophes, fatalities, complaints, and programmed inspections.

The process following an OSHA inspection, including discussions with employers about observed conditions, issuance of citations and proposed penalties, and appeal rights.

The types of violations and corresponding penalties that employers can face, ranging from $0 to $500,000 depending on the violation's severity.

Strategies to avoid OSHA citations and penalties, such as establishing written programs for OSHA standards, conducting hazard assessments, and ensuring proper use of personal protective equipment.

The importance of training and education in compliance with OSHA standards, and the need for uniform documentation of training to determine additional training needs and evaluate performance.

Conclusion and additional resources provided by National Safety Compliance, including a workbook with information on various OSHA standards and safety topics.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello my name is Jim Bratton and I

represent National safety compliance

we've put together this program to

provide you with some basic information

about Osha Osha standards and other

health and safety issues as they apply

to various workplaces in this video I'll

tell you a little of the history behind

osia how osia protects employees through

what is known as standards some of the

osia recordkeeping requirements how OSHA

enforces the standards what you can do

to comply with osia standards and a few

other things you should know about OSHA

as they relate to your company

[Music]

in 1970 Congress passed the occupational

safety and health act the purpose of

this legislation was to establish a

nationwide Federal program to protect

almost the entire Workforce from job

related death injury and illness before

this act job safety and health issues

were mainly decided by individual

companies without any standardized regul

ulations or guidelines employee health

and safety was hit and miss while some

companies and industries work to create

a safe workplace others felt it was a

financial burden and was unnecessary

this was the backdrop for the creation

of oan but there were many events that

led to the occupational safety and

health act starting with the Industrial

Revolution in the 1800s through child

labor to mass immigration to labor

movements and more employe health and

safety has been an evolving issue

workplace health and safety is still

evolving today as new technologies

increased information and a growing and

shifting Workforce create the need for a

new revised and or additional standards

and

guidelines OSHA is the leading force in

the protection of the US

Workforce after the passage of the

occupational safety and health act the

first step the Secretary of Labor took

was to establish within the labor

department effective April 28th 1971 a

special agency to administer the ACT

this agency is what we know of today as

the occupational safety and health

administration or

OSHA this new agency took on the

difficult task of creating from scratch

a program that would meet the

legislative intent of the act the

purposes of the ACT are quite

comprehensive and include the

establishment of occupational safety and

health standards carrying Out

Inspections and

investigations ensuring the maintenance

of recordkeeping by employers on

occupational injuries and

illnesses requiring reporting by

employers of work-related deaths and

conducting research relating to

occupational safety and health OSHA uses

three basic strategies to help employers

and employees reduce injuries illnesses

and deaths on the

job one OSHA uses enforcement that is

strong fair and effective two they

provide Outreach education and

compliance assistance and three utilize

Partnerships alliances and other

cooperative and voluntary

programs since OSHA's Creation in

1971 there has been substantial progress

in increased occupational health and

safety work related fatality rates have

been historically low in Rec years OSHA

has helped to cut workplace fatalities

by more than 60% and occupational injury

and illness rates by

40% at the same time us employment has

increased from 56 million employees to

more than 135 million

employees while OSHA continues to make

strides in occupational health and

safety significant hazards and unsafe

conditions still exist in US

workplaces each year all almost 5,200

people die from workplace injuries in

the private sector nearly 4.3 million

people suffer non-fatal workplace

injuries and illnesses and the cost of

such injuries and illnesses total more

than

156 billion

[Music]

doll oosha issues mandated laws and

rules through what is known as standards

OSHA standards require that employers

maintain conditions or adopt practices

reasonably necessary and appropriate to

protect workers on the job employers are

to be familiar with and comply with

standards applicable to their

establishments employers must also

ensure that employees have and use

personal protective equipment when

required for our safety and

health each workplace may have different

requirements and different areas within

one workplace may require different

standards

as an employer it is your responsibility

to know what standards

apply the occupational safety and health

act covers private sector employers and

their employees in the 50 states and

certain territories and jurisdictions

under Federal Authority the ush ACT

covers employers and employees either

directly through Federal Ocean or

through an OSHA approved State program

section 18 of the OS Act

encourages states to develop and operate

their own job safety and health programs

there are currently 22 States and

jurisdictions operating complete State

plans covering both the private sector

and state and local government employees

and four Connecticut New Jersey New York

and the Virgin Islands which cover

public employees only OSHA approves and

monitors State plans and states must set

job safety and health stand standards

that are at least as effective as

comparable Federal standards Most states

adopt standards identical to Federal

ones all employers are required by law

to comply with all code of Federal

Regulation CFR promulgated under the OS

act in addition some agencies both

federal and state may incorporate OSHA

regulations into their own rules and

regulations whereupon these agencies

then may enforce the occupation safety

and health portions of their

requirements examples of federal

agencies that commonly use and enforce

OSHA requirements with their own

statutes and regulations are the US

Department of Transportation and the US

Environmental Protection

Agency the OS act does not cover certain

groups of

people these groups include the

self-employed members of immediate

family of farm employers worker

conditions that are regulated under

worker safety or health requirements of

other federal agencies and employees of

state and local governments some states

have state plans that cover these

[Music]

workers Congress provided very specific

language in the OS act indicating that

they recognized statistics on workplace

injuries and diseases are essential to

an effective National program of

prevention the ACT among other things

directed the Secretary of Labor to issue

regulations to require employers to

maintain records on workplace injuries

and illnesses this section is known as

CFR

1904 recording and Reporting

occupational injuries and

illnesses you can learn more about this

standard in the workbook the Secretary

of Labor was also directed to compile

accurate statistics on occupational

injuries and illnesses and to make

periodic reports on such occurrences the

responsibility for collecting statistics

on occupational injuries and illnesses

was delegated to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics OSHA is also assigned the

task of enforcing the standards they

Implement enforcement is accomplished

through the use of work site inspections

and if necessary imposing citations

penalties or both OSHA has a specific

standard cfr1 1903 inspections citations

and proposed penalties that Define these

topics workplace inspections and

investigations are conducted by OSHA

compliance officers who are trained

safety and health

professionals inspections are almost

always done without advanced notice some

special situations do occur in which

OSHA might provide advanced notice of

their

inspection these special circumstances

usually involve situations OSHA has been

notified that an emminent dangerous

condition is present and needs to be

corrected as soon as possible or that

there has been a

fatality If an employer refuses to admit

an OSHA compliance officer or if an

employer attempts to interfere with the

inspection the occupational safety and

health act permits appropriate legal

action such as obtaining a warrant to

inspect it is best to cooperate with

OSHA completely when being inspected

their goal should be your goal the

health and safety of

workers working cooperatively will help

reach that

goal not all 111 million workplaces

covered by the ACT can realistically be

inspected OSHA therefore has established

a priority system for conducting

inspections the worst cases are given

top priority the order in which

inspections or investigations are

conducted is one one imminent danger

situations two catastrophes and

fatalities three complaints and

referrals four programmed inspections

five follow-up

inspections after an inspection the

compliance officer discusses with the

employer all unsafe or unhealthful

conditions observed during the

inspection and indicates all apparent

violations for which he or she may issue

a command a citation and a proposed

penalty the compliance officer will not

indicate any specific proposed penalties

but will inform the employer of appeal

rights after the compliance officer

reports their findings the area director

determines whether he or she will issue

citations and or proposed

penalties citations inform the employer

and employees of the regulations and

standards alleged to have been violated

and of the proposed length of time set

to correct alleged hazards the employer

will receive citations and notices of

proposed penalties by certified mail the

employer must post a copy of each

citation at or near the place of

violation occurred for 3 days or until

the violation is abated whichever is

longer penalties are based on the type

of violations found during the

inspection there are eight types of

violations for which an employer can be

fined and penalties can range from 0 to

$500,000 depending on the type and

severity of the

violation additional penalties can be

imposed for violations such as

falsifying records reports or

applications violating posting

requirements are assaulting a compliance

officer or interfering with a compliance

officer while they perform their

[Music]

duties so what can you do to avoid

receiving citations and penalties while

striving to provide a safe and healthy

workplace you must also have established

written programs that cover most OSHA

standards the most important standards

all have requirements that companies

have written programs in place these

standards include Hazard communication

29 cfr1

1910.1200 respiratory protection

1910.134 emergency action plan

19103 fire prevention plans

19103 lockout tagout

1910.147 and bloodborne pathogens

1910.1030 other standards may also

require written programs it is not

enough to just have the programs written

and then filed away the programs must be

current utilized reviewed and updated as

necessary to ensure their Effectiveness

and compliance with OSHA

standards many companies create written

programs and then fail to keep them

current OSHA would view the situation

the same as if a program had not been

written at all and it indicates a lack

of positive safety and health attitude

overall OSHA will usually want to see

your written programs before ever

starting an inspection tour of your

company you must be

prepared another area that OSHA

considers very important is that of

Hazard assessment and personal

protective equipment cfr1 1910 132 set

standards for the use of PPE and

requires companies to assess the

workplace to determine hazards requiring

PPE employers have to verify that the

required hazard assessment was performed

through a written certification the

certification must identify the

workplace evaluated the person

certifying that the evaluation was

performed and the dates of the hazard

assessment obviously documentation is an

essential part of avoiding osia

citations and penalties training is

possibly the most important issue for

companies to address OSHA imposes

training and education requirements for

almost all standards it is important to

note that OSHA does not specifically

require documentation of training in

every standard most standards do insist

on documentation and we believe that

employers are better off documenting all

all training regardless of OSHA's

requirements uniform documentation of

all training will help you determine who

needs additional training determine when

it is time to update training and

evaluate employee work performance when

reviewing your training program you

should compare your current training

program to OSHA's training requirements

employers must include oser required

information as it pertains to that

specific

topic and an accurate and complete

training program will benefit your

company in more ways than you can

imagine we hope this short informational

video on OSHA has been helpful the

workbook that accompanied this video

provides additional information on over

30 different OSHA standards and other

safety topics the workbook information

is not meant to be allinclusive and is

not intended as a substitute for nor

should it be construed as legal advice

its purpose is to inter produce various

topics and hopefully give you a bit of

insight to those topics the workbook

also gives information on some of the

products National safety compliance has

available to help you in meeting various

requirements thank you and have a great

day