The main goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, since its inception in 1971 is to prevent any injuries, deaths, and illnesses from happening due to practices and problems in the workplace. The safety guidelines from OSHA help ensure the goal to protect the lives of workers from any harm and serve as preventive medicine at the same time. Some guidelines are voluntary and others are required. In addition to general guidelines, OSHA maintains various industry-specific guidelines.
Voluntary Guidelines
Voluntary guidelines are those that are not required, including ergonomic suggestions. These guidelines are meant to help employers minimize certain risks that may lead to an increase in employee injury and Workman's Compensation claims. Employers are able to identify any hazards and are able to develop effective measures to control and lessen these hazards using suggestions and guidelines from OSHA.
Guidelines vs. Standards
Guidelines that govern OSHA are far better solutions than the implementation of standards, or regulations, for a number of reasons in the workplace. These guidelines are more flexible in nature, but they are also always open to change as far as updated information goes and they are developed a lot more quickly. Guidelines are very diverse in that they are able to adapt themselves to suit each individual workplace based on the programs that are designed specifically for that workplace alone.
Training Guidelines
The purpose of OSHA training guidelines is to provide both the employer and the employee with all the information necessary to keep the workplace as safe as possible. OSHA training guidelines follow a protocol or model that includes deciding if training is needed, identifying the kind of training required, becoming aware of the specific goals and objectives, etc. The sole purpose of this model is to make things as easy as possible for the business owner to implement a good and working plan to ensure safety and health in the workplace without having to hire a professional trainer.
Industry- and Task-Specific Guidelines
Industry- and task-specific guidelines are designed to establish a working process to assist employers and employees to both be able to recognize and control the hazards that are a part of that working environment on a day-to-day basis. The sets of guidelines that are developed will only address the requirements for a particular industry and/or task. Industry- and task-specific guidelines are a three-part system of program functionality that include program management recommendations, worksite analysis recommendations and hazard control recommendations.
Security Guidelines
Workplace security guidelines address the many security issues that exist in the working environment. One major focus is on workplace violence. There are numerous risk factors associated with the different types of workplace violence. The chances of workplace violence can be greatly reduced by the incorporation of these guidelines along with the strong commitment of management, employees and labor unions. Some of these guidelines include a working harassment-reporting system, violence prevention program and safety measures, such as lights in a parking lot.
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