OSHA standards are constantly changing. Many times, employers don’t know what programs are required or if the programs should be tailored to there specific industry. Below you will find a list of the most common required programs. But please note the discussion of each program is brief. We advise not to develop a specific program based on these descriptions. For complete and detailed program requirements, you should call us. It’s what we are here for.
- Bloodborne pathogen exposure program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030): If the potential
exists for employee exposure to blood or other body fluids in the course of normal
duties, the company is required to implement a program to deal with this exposure.
This program includes a written exposure control plan, employee training, personal
protective equipment, laundry controls, engineering controls and waste disposal
procedures. Included in the program are site first aid team members.
- Confined space entry (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146): Employers are required to assess their
facilities and work sites to determine if there are any confined spaces. Confined
spaces must then be evaluated to determine if they are permit-required confined
spaces. A formal plan must be developed for entry and rescue. No employee shall be
required to enter any permit-required confined space unless a written confined space
entry procedure is developed and implemented.
- Crane/Hoisting inspection program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, 184 or 1926.251, 550,
552): Program consists primarily of documented inspections of equipment.
Employees are to be trained in proper inspection techniques in order to identify
potential hazards. Depending upon equipment and use, inspections may be daily,
monthly or from one to12 months. Assistance can be obtained from the equipment
manufacturer or commercial crane inspection companies.
- Electrical safety-related work practices program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.331 – 335 and
399): Training must be provided to employees whose work might expose them to a
risk of electrical shock while working on or near to exposed live parts or other
electrical equipment. The content of the training shall include all work practices
addressed in the standard. Also, written lockout/tagout procedures must be provided
for work on the electrical systems.
- Emergency action plan (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.35/150 or 1910.38): The Emergency Action
Plan shall be written (oral if 10 or fewer employees) and include: 1) emergency
escape procedures, 2) operation of critical operations, 3) accounting procedures for all
employees, and 4) rescue duties.
- Trenching and excavations (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 and 652): It is important, before
beginning the job, for the contractor to establish and maintain a excavation plan for
the work site that provides adequate systematic policies, procedures, and practices to
protect employees from, and allow them to recognize, excavations safety and health
hazards. As well as the means to enter and exit the trench safely, and a written rescue plan.
- Fire prevention plan (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.24 & 1910.39): Shall be written (oral if 10 or
fewer employees) and include; 1) a list of major workplace fire hazards, and 2) names
of personnel responsible for maintenance of fire control and prevention equipment.
For both plans, employees shall be appropriately trained.
- Fall Protection Program (OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M & 29 CFR 1910.28):
- Required for all related activities as defined by regulation(s).
- A written plan is required and should include the following key elements;
- 1) Conduct Fall Hazard Assessment,
- 2)Establish Policy and Develop Procedures,
- 3) Determine Appropriate Hazard Control Measures,
- 4) Elimination/Engineering Controls,
- 5) Selection and use of Applicable Systems,
- 6) Orientation and Training,
- 7) Inspection and Maintenance,
- 8) Program Audit.
- First aid (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 or 1926.50): Trained, designated first-aid responders
must be provided at each work location that is not in “near proximity” to medical
assistance. Near proximity would be a response time of five minutes or less for local
EMS.
- General Safety and Health Provisions (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20): These are the key major
elements to a good general safety and health program- 1) Management Commitment and Employee Involvement,
- 2) Work site Analysis,
- 3) Hazard Prevention and Control,
- 4) Safety and Health Training,
- 5) And a Safety Committee.
- Please note that a safety Commitee is required if you have more than 50 employees.
- Hazard communication program (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.59 or 1910.1200): Each employer
is required to develop a written Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) program to
include:- 1) an inventory of all hazardous chemicals in the workplace,
- 2) labeling, tagging, or marking each container of hazardous chemical,
- 3) employee training on the hazards from these chemicals,
- 4) maintenance of Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
- 5) SDS library must be accessible by all employees.
- Hearing Conservation Program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95 or 1926.101): Occupational
noise levels must be evaluated to determine if a hazard exists and if so, what controls
must be implemented. If noise levels exceed OSHA standards, then a formal Hearing
Conservation Program must be established, to include:- 1) noise monitoring of work areas, if in excess of thresholds must provide protection
- 2) employee training, and
- 3) periodic hearing examinations.
- Hot work program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106, 119, and 252): A Hot Work Program is
required when hot work, such as welding or cutting, use of spark-producing powered
tools, chipping operations, etc., is performed in an area where combustibles,
flammables, or gasses may be ignited. Prior to hot work, an authorized person must
inspect the area to determine:- 1) need and feasibility,
- 2) fire or explosive hazards, and
- 3) control measures.
- A written work permit shall be issued identifying:
- 1) the scope of work performed,
- 2) precautions to be taken, and
- 3) any follow-up upon completion of the work.
- 4) who is identified as the fire watch and how long they must be at site of work.
- Laboratory chemical safety (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450): Established if facility has
laboratory facilities using hazardous chemicals (Example: Production plant having a
quality control testing lab or an R &D lab). Not required if laboratory only uses commercially
prepared kits or dip-and-read testing. Plan requires a written chemical hygiene plan,
employee monitoring, medical surveillance, hazard identification and recordkeeping.
- Lockout/Tagout program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, 333 and/or 1926.417): required for
the servicing, cleaning and maintenance of machines and equipment in which the
unexpected startup or energization (turning the power back on) or release of stored
energy (power press at top of cycle) could cause injury to employees. Under this
program, all possible sources of energy must be identified and secured (locked
out/off) and / or tagged to warn other employees why the equipment is turned off.
- Machine Guarding (OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart O):
- This subpart of the OSHA Standard requires guarding of all dangerous moving parts in three basic areas:
- 1)The point of operaiton: that point where work is performed on the material, such as cutting or shaping.
- 2) Power transmission apparatus: all components of the mechanical system that
transmit energy to the part of the machine performing the work. These
components include flywheels, pulleys, belts, connecting rods, couplings,
cams, spindles, chains, cranks, and gears; - 3) Other moving parts: all parts of the machine which moves while the machine is
working. These can include reciprocating, rotating, and transverse moving
parts, as well as feed mechanisms and auxiliary parts of the machine.
Radiation (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1096 Ionizing & 29 CFR 1910.97 Nonionizing)
This area may include the use of lasers on construction sites, employees repairing
scanning equipment, medical/dental X-rays, ultraviolet radiation (sun) for workers
outside, and radar/communication equipment.
OSHA Recordkeeping (OSHA 29 CFR 1904): Records must be maintained for 5 years
previous to the current year and must be available in the establishment for inspection.
Under OSHA, only employers with more than 10 employees are required to maintain
these records. There are some exemptions to this law. Under House Bill 308, all
public employers are required to maintain the forms, regardless of number of
employees and form 300A must be submitted every year. The following is a list of
OSHA Recordkeeping forms;
OSHA form 300: “Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”. Used to record
every work-related death and about every work-related injury or illness that
involves loss of consciousness, restricted work activity or job transfer, days away
from work, or medical treatment beyond first aid.
OSHA form 300A: “Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”. Used to
summarize the statistical data gathered with form 300. This form must be posted
from February 1 to April 30 of the year following the year covered by the form.
OSHA form 301: “Injuries and Illnesses Incident Report”. This form is one of the
first forms you must fill out when a recordable work related injury or illness has
occurred. It is used to provide detailed information on injuries and illnesses, how
they occurred, etc. This form is the basis for the information filled out on the OSHA
Form 300.
Personal Protective Equipment (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132 & 1926 Subpart E): Each
employer is required to perform and document a hazard assessment of the workplace
to determine if hazards exist that make the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
necessary. If so, appropriate PPE must be selected. Training is required and includes:
1) when the PPE is necessary, 2) what PPE is required, 3) how to use the PPE, 4) the
limitations of PPE, and 5) proper care and maintenance of the PPE.
Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 & 1926.602(d)):
Employers shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to
operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by completion of training
and evaluation. Training elements include: 1) formal instruction, 2) demonstrations
performed by the trainer, 3) practical exercises performed by the trainee, and 4)
evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace. Training program content
shall include: 1) truck-related topics, 2) workplace-related topics, and 3) specific
requirements spelled out in the standard.
Respiratory protection program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 or 1926.103: For the use of
respiratory protection, it is required that either initial air monitoring or a reasonable
estimate of exposure be made to determine the need for such protection. If respiratory
protection is required (because of an over-exposure or employer requirements), then
a formal, written nine step respiratory protection program is required. Items to be
included in such a program are: 1) procedures for selecting respirators, 2) medical
evaluations, 3) fit testing procedures, 4) procedures for proper use in routine and
reasonably expected emergencies, 5) procedures and schedules for cleaning,
disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, discarding and otherwise maintaining
respirators, 6) ensuring adequate air quality for supplied air respirators, 7) employee
training relative to the hazards to which they are exposed, 8) employee training
relative to the proper use of respirators, including putting them on, and 9) procedures
for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the program.
Safety training and education (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.21): It is strongly recommended
that you create a written safety training program. This program should be specifically
tailored to the dangers and hazards presented in your workplace and training completion
should be fully documented and available upon demand.
Spill response plans (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120): Required for all operations where there
is a reasonable expectation of emergency response operations for the release of, or
substantial threat of release of, hazardous substances (e.g. storage tanks of chlorine,
paints, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, etc.). A written plan is required identifying: 1)
the hazards involved, 2) evaluation of the hazards, 3) control of the hazards, 4)
emergency response actions, 5) clean-up, and 6) decontamination procedures.
Additional programs/policies training
The following are some additional programs and policies that companies should consider
when developing their health and safety programs.
A thorough job safety analysis (JSA) to identify all potential health and safety concerns
is imperative in order to insure all employees are properly trained and protected against
the hazards presented in the workplace. This should be a formalized process with supporting
Documentation.
Operating procedures for each piece of equipment: Specific operating procedures should be
established for each piece of equipment used by the company. Employees should be trained
using these operating procedures to ensure consistency of training.
Heat stress/cold stress (as of July, 2024, this is now mandatory)
Certain occupations may require very specific employee training, equipment, and
procedures to prevent either heat stress or cold stress on the employees. Such
occupations may include construction, meat packing, foundry, landscaping, etc.
The employer is required to evaluate any potential hazards (including heat and
cold) and develop procedures to protect their employees.