The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has

recently drafted updates to their Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines. These

updates were drafted in an effort to reflect modern technology and practices. According to

OSHA, these updates should be particularly helpful to small and medium sized businesses.

Additionally, these guidelines will address ways in which multiple employers can coordinate

their efforts at the same worksite to protect workers.

According to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. David

Michaels, “Employers who embrace these guidelines will see fewer worker injuries and illnesses,

and their progress in improving the safety culture at their worksites will contribute to higher

productivity, reduced costs and greater worker satisfaction.”

While these guidelines are only advisory and are not mandatory, they are effective in helping to

reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. By following these guidelines, there is a smaller chance

of unchecked hazards at a worksite and, as such, a smaller chance of an audit from OSHA and

any fines. So if you are not currently following the OSHA Safety and Health Program

Management Guidelines, or if you are and are unsure of how the changes will impact your Safety

and Health Management Program, then it is probably a good time to consult a third party

occupational safety and health auditing firm to help ensure you are on track and that your facility

is fully up to code.

If you have any questions about OSHA’s Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines or

the new changes to these guidelines, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the

importance of instituting these guidelines, please leave a comment.