It is your responsibility to know what items or substances you have in your workplace that could hurt your workers. Worksite analysis is a group of processes that helps you make sure that you know what you need to keep your workers safe. For help in getting started with these processes, you can call on your state on-site Consultation Program and have an experienced health and safety professional visit your workplace for free and confidentially. Locations for each state are listed on OSHA's website. Also, OSHA's booklet, Job Hazard Analysis, may be helpful.
Here are some actions to consider:
Request a consultation visit from your state on-site Consultation Program covering both safety and health to get a full survey of the hazards that exist in your workplace and those that could develop. You can also contract for such services from expert private consultants if you prefer.
Establish a way to get professional advice when you make changes to procedures or equipment, to ensure that the changes are not introducing new hazards into your workplace. Find ways to keep current on newly recognized hazards in your industry.
Periodically review with employees each job, analyzing it step-by-step to see if there are any hidden hazards in the equipment or procedures.
Set up a self-inspection system to check your hazard controls and evaluate any new hazards. Checklists provide a starting point. Your state consultant can assist you in establishing an effective system.
Make sure your employees feel comfortable in alerting you or another member of management when they see things that look dangerous or out of place.
Learn how to conduct a thorough investigation when things go wrong. This will help you develop ways to prevent recurrences. Extensive information can be found on OSHA's website under "Accident Investigation" in the index.
Review several years of injury or illness records to identify patterns that can help you devise strategies to improve your safety and health program. Periodically review several months of experience to determine if any new patterns are developing.
Information courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration.
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