OSHA Consultation Services

Agency addresses Association addresses OSHA consultation services OSHA district offices OSHA local area offices OSHA regional offices Other relevant addresses... 

If an employer, with the cooperation of employees, is unable to find acceptable corrections for hazards in the workplace, or if assistance is needed to identify hazards, employees should be sure the employer is aware of the OSHA-sponsored, state-delivered, free consultation service. This service is intended primarily for small employers in high hazard industries. Employers can request a limited or comprehensive consultation visit by a consultant from the appropriate state consultation service. 

Respondent firm s experience with Safety and Health Consultation Service, including OSHA workplace consultation services... 

NOTE In Section V, only general features of consultation services are covered. Individual-specific OSHA consultation programs are presented starting in Section VI of the MWSP Survey. 

NOTE Employers cannot be required in a settlement agreement to use OSHA s state consultation services such services are strictly voluntary. 

In many large institutions, the environmental health and safety department has developed a generic Chemical Hygiene Plan, but the plan must be modified to include detailed protections that are specific to each laboratory and its workers. This approach allows considerable flexibility in achieving the performance-based goals of the Laboratory Standard. Model Chemical Hygiene Plans are available from the OSHA consultation service, from the American Chemical Society, and from some professional associations or commercial sources. 

Lockout/Tagout consulting services improve your safety program heiping assure OSHA compiiance. Exciusiveiy from Master Lock. 

Ask for an OSHA consultation service or pursue an exemption if the inspector cannot tell you how to abate or correct a violation. 

This addendum is reprinted with the permission of Adele Abrams and the American Society of Safety Engineers, the entity that commissioned her paper. Abrams is an attorney, safety professional, and trained mediator who represents employers and contractors nationwide in OSHA and MSHA litigation, and in worker s compensation and other employment matters. She also provides safety, health, and environmental training and consultation services to both small and large businesses. She is president of Adele L. Abrams P.C. in Beltsviiie, Md., and can be contacted at safetylawyer aol.com or 301-595-3520. 

Cai/OSHA Consultation Service Area Offices Cai/OSHA Consultation toll-free number - (800) 963-9424... 

Evaluation testing—The atmosphere of a confined space should be analyzed using equipment of sufficient sensitivity and specificity to identify and evaluate any hazardous atmospheres that may exist or arise, so that appropriate permit entry procedures can be developed and acceptable entry conditions stipulated for that space. Evaluation and interpretation of these data and development of the entry procedure should be done by, or reviewed by, a technically qualified professional, such as an OSHA consultation service. Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or registered safety official, based on evaluation of all serious hazards. 

Using the free and confidential on-site consultation service largely funded by the federal OSHA, employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their occupational safety and health management systems, and even qualify for a 1-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections. 

OSHA s free On-site Consultation services www.osha.gov/consultation Training resources www.osha.gov/dte/index.html... 

OSHA-funded free consultation services. Consult your telephone directory for the number of your local OSHA area or regional office for further assistance and advice (listed under U.S Labor Department or under the state government section where states administer their own OSHA programs). 

Trade associations or labor unions Conferences and trade shows Insurance companies OSHA consultation services Specialists... 

Section 7 delineates the responsibility of the Secretary of Labor to establish an advisory committee on OS H and provide the resources for the mission and intent of the advisory committee. The procedures and resources available to the committee are explained. This section authorizes OSHA to make use of the services and personnel of state and federal agencies and to provide OS H consultative services. 

If your employees are involved in many different or complex processes, you need professional help conducting your job hazard analyses. Sources of help include your insurance company, the local fire department, and private consultants with safety and health expertise. In addition, OSHA offers assistance throi its regional and area offices and consultation services. Contact numbers are listed at the back of this publication. 

In addition to helping employers identify and correct specific hazards, OSHA s consultation service provides free, onsite assistance in developing and implementing effective workplace safety and health management systems that emphasize the prevention of worker injuries and illnesses. 

Funded largely by OSHA, the service is provided at no cost to the employer. Primarily developed for smaller employers with more hazardous operations, the consultation service is delivered by state governments employing professional safety and health consultants. No penalties are proposed or citations issued for hazards identified by the consultant. The employer s only obligation is to correct all identified serious hazards within the agreed-upon correction time frame. 

Voluntary Protection Prc rams (VPPs) represent one part of OSHA s effort to extend worker protection beyond the minimum required by OSHA standards. VPP—along with onsite consultation services, full-service area offices. 

The consultant will send to the company a detailed written report about 20 days after the closing conference that explains the findings and confirms agreed upon correction periods. A list of hazards is included in the report and must be posted electronically or in an easily observable area by employees for three days or until the listed hazards are corrected. Consultants may also contact the business from time to time to check progress, and employers may always contact them for assistance. Employers using the consultation service are deferred from OSHA s scheduled inspections while the consultation remains in progress. This period encompasses the time between the onset of the consultation and the final correction dates, including any extensions. 

In FY2011, OSHA Consultation Services conducted nearly 30,000 on-site visits. Of these, 54% were at employers with 25 or fewer employees. 

OSHA Form 33, Safety and Health Program Assessment Worksheet is another source to help you evaluate your existing safety system and determine where you may need improvements. This form is used by OSHA s Consultation Services to review safety management programs. It... 

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