Is OSHA Training Needed?

There are a lot of workers and employers out there who asks such question…. Is OSHA safety training needed? They somewhat think that the safety guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are only for the new workers or those without problems just as yet. They think that they are unnecessary. Successful workers and companies, however, do know that this safety training programs are a part of a success for the day to day operations of their industry – a lot of them out there even provides it (for employers) or take it up on their own (workers), even though it is not required by their local government, as they know it is their key to success.

Neglecting health and safety in different workplace can earn the organizations a hefty fine from OSHA – it can cause then hundreds to even millions of dollars. Aside from that, they will also lose money from accidents/injuries through extra medical bills, loss of man power, delays in the project and more. No worker life is worth any money at all so why wouldn’t you comply with the health and safety regulations and risks accidents and mishaps at your workplace right? It’s better to keep a smooth and safety operation than to lose a huge amount of money. Therefore, you must follow all the rules and meet every requirement - even at times when you are not required for a health and safety training in your location. Make your workplace safe, make your workers safer and protect your organization.

Different industries have their own strict rules and guidelines for health and safety. For workers and employers, they should know those restrictions and they should know how they can comply. They can do this by contacting their local safety council or administration (OSHA for the USA) – most of them have their own websites so they can take advantage of the internet to know these details. You can also visit the online providers of these programs because they know how your company can comply with OSHA, which produces a safe working environment and more productivity.

Occupational safety training not being required in most places should not be a factor on why you would not get it for yourself or for your workers. Yes they may cause you some money and time to get workers or your own health and safety training but in the long run, it can save you more money and it can save you your biggest possession, your life. Workers and organizations needs to understand what OSHA compliance is and what it can do to the business. Do not do it because you want to meet or to avoid penalties, do so because safety training can help make the workplace a better place for success.

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OSHA Training and the Economy

As we continue with our growth industrially, jobs and careers in hazardous places such as construction site do not seem to decrease. But, with this current economy, growth is not as fast in some places – actually, there are but actually the opposite of growth for businesses in some places. This can cause people their jobs and their livelihood. Even though some people have experienced this before (post-recession), professionals and workers still need to find ways to survive the day to day battle with this economy.

In the construction field, one way to managing your career is by keeping your OSHA training certification up to date. Most organizations are with limited resources nowadays so they are out to find employees that can do the job and can do it without having to spend excessively – having a safety training certification can help notify employers that the workers have the ability to do their jobs on the day to day basis without having to risk accidents and mishaps in the workplace that can cause extra expenditures (medical), delays at work, loss of man power, etc,. Workers without the right certification may easily be neglected over those workers who have the right training. The competition in this industry is no longer just about experience but also having the right credentials.

Workers with the right certification and training background doesn’t just stand better position in getting hired, but they also have a better chance to be kept by companies that maybe cutting down on costs and laying off some workers. This is the reality and people needs to understand the importance of careers nowadays and how they should manage it well given the situation with the economy.

Time can tell on when the economy is going to go back the way it was before or be better than how it is now and with it, different industries will also find ways to get back on track. You don’t have to wait for that time, you have to manage your career well now and you have to start today. Always update your OSHA training certification and prove that you are an asset to a company or organization and you’ll be sure to have a good career. These are one of the best things to do in managing your career given the current situation of the economy.

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OSHA’s Advice to Workers during Sandy Clean-Up Efforts

In the wake of the widespread destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is advising cleanup and recovery teams deployed to the affected states, especially New England, New Jersey, and hard-hit New York, to be extra-vigilant of the hazards they will encounter performing their jobs.

Robert Kulick, OSHA New York regional administrator, explained in a recent media release that the U.S. worksite-safety watchdog is making sure that everyone is well aware of the dangers that usually attend post-hurricane cleanup and recovery efforts and advised that all workers take the necessary steps to protect themselves.

As all those who have taken OSHAcampus.com Outreach training know, worksite hazards can be found on the ground as well as underground and aboveground, with the likelihood of them being encountered increasing significantly during and after extreme weather. Cleanup work, such as the one now underway in New York and in other states, nearly always involves restoring power, telecommunications, water, and sewer services. According to OSHA, other common activities after a storm include emergency response, demolition, floodwater draining, cleaning up debris, tree cutting and trimming, and repair of roadways, bridges, dams and levees, and other structures.

These activities carry necessary risks and are usually associated with dangers from downed power lines, exposed live electrical wires, hazardous gas (usually carbon monoxide) and chemical leaks, tree trimming, working at height, unprotected excavations, confined spaces, moving water, and flooded structures.

To prevent injuries, OSHA training and OSHA advisories constantly urge that protective measures be taken at all times by both managers and workers. These measures include scoping the work area for all hazards; using the correct personal protective equipment (hard hats, safety glasses, proper shoes, reflective vests); assuming all electrical lines are live; conducting exposure monitoring for chemical leaks and spills; employing only proper tree-cutting procedures; using fall-protection protocols; and exercising proper ladder safety when working off the ground.

OSHA reassures the cleanup and recovery teams that its field staff members are always ready to extend them safety assistance, information and training, and technical support now and even after the last piece of Sandy debris is hauled away. OSHA says that employers, workers, and the public can contact the agency at its toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) for additional information on unsafe work situations.

Also, information on protecting workers through the Hurricane Sandy recovery is available at OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov/sandy/index.html. According to the agency, the website carries information resources such as frequently asked questions, safety and health guides, fact sheets, "quick cards," and additional information in English and Spanish. The website complements the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s own storm-info website at www.ready.gov/hurricanes, where a checklist of to-dos before, during, and after a hurricane can be accessed.

The Labor Department, for its part, has announced that information on cleanup efforts, recovery resources, and grants can be had at its regularly updated Hurricane Recovery Assistance Web page (www.dol.gov/opa/hurricane-recovery.htm).

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Safety Training – Employer and Worker Benefits

Before admiring great buildings and infrastructures, do know that they were once construction sites that are filled with a lot of dangers and hazards and that at one point or another, some workers may have been injured and even killed. Other occupations are not far different from construction sites – they are filled with things that can hurt workers or even worse, cause fatality. Hundreds of workers are killed annually in occupational accidents and mishaps along with thousands of workers injured and suffer illnesses because of their poor working environment.

Employers and workers, however, can always prevent from being included in those numbers and reports. One thing that they can include in their safety plan is safety trainings. They can easily get those trainings for both the supervisors and the workers. A lot are available at affordable prices nowadays both online and offline. Those safety training programs can help create safety awareness in an organization which can also lead to smoother day to day operations. Without accidents and injuries in the workplace, you can make sure that there wouldn’t be added delays and expenses which may include or come from lack of man power, extra medical bills, extra penalty bills (for safety citations), possible lawsuits, and more. All of those can be avoided with health and safety training programs.

Being able to identify hazards at different kinds of workplaces can help increase safety. Workers, supervisors and managers can learn this by taking up safety courses – this way they can control the risks involved with their working environments.

Safety training programs can help them:
•    Get new employees acquainted with the environment/process
•    Get employees acquainted with a safety day to day process or the right SOP
•    Introduce equipments
•    Recognize hazards
•    Communicate properly
•    Know how to properly act during emergencies
•    Be acquainted with personal protective equipments
•    Reduce accidents and injuries
•    Improve staff sense of safety and morale
•    Reduce loss of manpower
•    Save money
•    Etc.

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Careers in workplace safety

One of the major concerns to a lot of workplaces nowadays is health and safety. It is definitely an advantage for both the employee and the employer if the working environment is maintained as a safe area as this helps in ensuring the smoothness of the day to day operations. Without the possible accidents and injuries that certain hazards and safety negligence can bring, they can also avoid extra expenditures that can come from medical bills, employee claims, loss of man power and delays in the operation. 

Because of the importance of health and safety, safety organizations such as OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been created.  Aside from the guidelines that they provide, they have also opened up a great career opportunity for those who want to be in the EHS industry or environmental health and safety industry. Workers in the EHS industry have a very big industry in ensuring the occupational health and safety. 

Since OSHA and safety careers has been introduced to a lot of workplaces, the rate of fatalities and accidents have increased significantly. OSHA's local units have workers of more than 70 professional Compliance Assistance Specialists who provides workplace safety awareness and training to workers and employers. 

Available careers in health and safety:

Safety Training Specialist (STS)

Safety Planning Specialist (SPS)

Certified Environmental Health and Safety Management Specialist (EHS)

Certified Safety Auditor (SAC)

Certified Safety Manager (CSM)

Certified Safety Administrator (CSA)

Master Safety Administrator (MSA)

Certified Safety Administrator (CSA)

Certified Safety Auditor (SAC)

HAZWOPER Training Specialist (HTS)

Workplace Violence Prevention Specialist (WVS)

Emergency Management Specialist (SEM)

Certified DOT HAZMAT Technician (CDT)

Certified Ergonomics Technician (CET)

Certified Safety Auditor (SAC)

Safety Inspections Technician (SIT)

Hazard Analysis Technician (HAT)

Accident Investigation Specialist (AIT)

OSHA Recordkeeping Technician (ORT)

Bloodborne Pathogens Safety Technician (BPT)

Personal Protective Equipment Technician (CPT)

Machine Safeguarding Technician (MGT)

As our world grows and develops more, the need for more workers pushing for the health and safety for a lot of industry is very much in need. DominicCooper, a safety professor says "Most see the profession transitioning from its current 'technical' role to a high-powered managerial role, with others saying both managerial and technical aspects are important," he says., 

One way to start a career in the health and safety industry is by getting a certification from the National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP) board – they have created these certifications as a way to show the knowledge, skill and abilities of the safety professional.

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