OSHA, NIOSH Revise Small Business Safety Handbook

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health collaborated with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on a revised workplace safety and health information handbook for small businesses.

The Small Business Safety and Health Handbook highlights the benefits of implementing an effective safety and health program, provides self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards, and reviews important workplace safety and health resources for small businesses.

“The revised Small Business Handbook is a valuable tool to help employers identify where to take action to make their workplaces safer and more healthful for their employees,” said Jim Frederick, the acting assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.

“Safety has to be a continuous process that involves preventing injuries and illnesses, and saving lives.”

Checklists

The handbook includes self-inspection checklists for various work processes in general industry workplaces, such as fire protection, hazard communication, permit-required confined spaces, respiratory protection, and walking-working surfaces.

The checklists are not intended for construction or maritime industries.

A section of the handbook lists OSHA and NIOSH resources available to help employers recognize and correct safety and health hazards in their workplace, including the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program.

The handbook also gives employers information on whistleblower protection laws, training through OSHA’s education centers, and professional occupational safety and health associations with local chapters that small businesses can join.