the bwc division of safety & hygiene’s osha on-site consultation program
TRANSCRIPT
The BWC Division of Safety & Hygiene’s
OSHA On-Site Consultation Program
OSHA On-Site Program Overview
o 90% federally funded
o 10% state funded - Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation
On-site consultants work with small, high-hazard employers to address the employer’s overall safety and health management system and to assist them in ensuring a safe and healthful workplace for their employees.
Industrial Hygiene Serviceso Conduct noise surveyso Conduct air monitoringo Ventilation assessmentso Provide advice as to the proper industrial
hygiene/engineering controls
OSHA On-Site Consultationo Similar to a federal OSHA inspection
• Opening conference• Walk-through• Closing conference• A written report that summarizes the results
of the visit
Opening Conference
o Rights and obligations explained• Hazard abatement deadlines• Interim protection
o Full service consultation• Facility walk-through• Written program review• Review of OSHA recordkeeping (300 logs)• Safety and health management assessment
Safety and Health Management Reviewo Conduct a safety and health program/policy
review• Hazard anticipation and detection• Hazard prevention and control• Planning and evaluation• Administration and supervision• Safety and health training• Management leadership• Employee participation
Walk-Through
o Employee participation • For union shops, opportunity to participate
in walk-through is required.
o Discussion with employees• Required for all visits• To help assess safety and hygiene management• To help assess the extent of hazards
Walk-Through
o Scope of visits• Full service - look at all processes• Limited service - look at specific operations
o Informal training
Hazards Identifiedo Imminent danger situation
• Abated immediately
o Serious finding• Develop and agree to a reasonable plan and schedule to
eliminate or control that hazard
o Other-than-serious• Should be corrected, but abatement documentation not
required
o Regulatoryo Other findings and recommendations
Closing Conference
o Review findingso Due dateso Methods of abatemento Interim protectiono Follow up visitso Training visitso Offer formal training
After the Visit
o Written report • Recommendations on correcting and improving
safety and health program.
o Explaining the findings o Confirming abatement periods
After the Visit
o Follow-up visits availableo Other assistance availableo OSHA requires hazard abatement of all
serious hazards o If not abated, referral to federal OSHA for
potential enforcement action is possible
On-Site Consultants Will:o Suggest general approaches or options for
solving a safety or health problem; o Identify kinds of help available, if needed; o Help recognize hazards in the workplace; o Provide a written report summarizing
findings.
On-Site Consultants Will:o Assist in developing or maintaining an
effective safety and health program ;o Provide awareness training and education
for employees .
On-Site Consultants Will Not:o Issue citations or propose penalties for
violations of OSHA standards;o Routinely report possible violations to OSHA
enforcement staff;o Guarantee that your workplace will “pass" an
OSHA inspection.
Exemptions and Deferralso SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement
Recognition Program) exemptiono Pre-SHARP inspection deferralo SST deferral
Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP)o Parallels Federal OSHA’s Voluntary
Protection Program (VPP)o A company must work on an on-going basis
with the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program and demonstrate an exemplary safety and health program.
o Provides an exemption from general schedule inspections
Pre-SHARP Inspection Deferralo Companies that are working toward SHARP
status but are not quite readyo One timeo Up to 18 monthso Action plan
Site Specific Targeting (SST) Deferralo Must request and schedule a full service
visit, safety and healtho Deferral lasts 90 days from the date that the
visit is actually requested.o Requires notification to OSHA that the
employer has a visit scheduledo Cannot be extended beyond 90 dayso List changes year to year
Myths About the OSHA On-Site Consultation Programo The Program routinely notifies OSHA to
conduct a compliance inspection.o Federal OSHA knows which companies have
used On-Site Consultation Program services.o Abatement of serious hazards are not
required.o We provide site-specific training to
employers.
Why Bother?
To Get Started:
o Phone Call• 800-282-1425 – State Wide (Automated) • 614-644-2631
o E-mail• [email protected]