Starting a new business is not an easy feat. There are a multitude of factors that go into building a business, and one of those is employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has come up with a set of guidelines pertaining to safety training requirements in order to protect employees while on the job. For contractors, this is incredibly important due to the physical labor required by workers and the dangers that can potentially be found in their work environment. Since contracted jobs usually pertain to a building or remodeling project, it can be quite hazardous for hands-on workers and other subcontractors working on the site so OSHA regulatory compliance training is a necessity.
What is OSHA?
In 1970, OSHA was established in order to regulate safety requirements in the workplace, especially in medium to high-risk industries. Prior to this, there were no federal mandates outlining the way in which occupational injuries and illnesses should be handled. Workers deserve to work in a safe environment, so OSHA was created to ensure that they do. In the half century that has followed, OSHA has been committed to keeping offices and worksites across the United States safe via consistent training, education, and inspections.
Under the OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace that is free from any known health and safety hazards. If a contractor is not familiar with the requirements laid out by OSHA, they are making themselves more susceptible to issues with the federal law. OSHA training is incredibly beneficial for new businesses as it ensures that both employers and employees are as safe as possible when working. Since businesses must comply with OSHA guidelines, it is a no-brainer to become trained in the subject.
With OSHA regulatory compliance training, new businesses with have the proper toolkit to recognize and remove hazards from the workplace, protect workers from injury and illness, prevent loss of life at the worksite, improve employee morale, and create employees that are alert and take responsibility for both their safety and the safety of their contemporaries while at the worksite.
What are the benefits of regulatory compliance training?
If safety isn’t reason enough to obtain an OSHA certification, there are financial benefits as well. The overall cost of accident prevention is far lower than the cost of an actual accident occurring. Becoming OSHA certified will help your business to lower injury and illness rates, decrease worker’s compensation costs, reduce lost workdays, and limit equipment damage and product losses. All of these factors added up can save your new business a good amount of money, which is especially helpful when you don’t have much starting capital to work with.
There are many types of OSHA regulatory compliance training, the most popular being OSHA 1910 and OSHA 1926. OSHA 1910 covers horizontal standards for employers in many industries, while OSHA 1926 refers specifically to vertical standards, which applies only to employers and employees in construction. OSHA 1910 is focused on the general industry standards, which refers to all industries not included in construction, agriculture, and maritime.
What courses does OSHA offer?
OSHA offers both 10 and 30-hour training options, with the 10-hour being an introductory course and the 30-hour being much more in depth. The OSHA 1910 training course is designed to provide employees with industrial safety tips that will ultimately protect both their health and the health of their peers. After completing either the 10 or 30-hour course, you will receive an OSHA certification card that demonstrates that you understand safety protocols and that you meet federal, state, and local training requirements.
How has COVID-19 affected OSHA regulatory compliance training?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued interim guidelines to address any concerns regarding the topic. As you know, OSHA focuses on the health and safety of workers, and we have witnessed first-hand that COVID-19 can be a deadly disease. These guidelines set forth general industry standards on how to handle COVID-19-related complaints, which includes but is not limited to shortages of personal protective equipment and worksite outbreaks.
Overall, there are many benefits for new businesses when it comes obtaining an OSHA certification. OSHA regulatory compliance training is a necessary step for businesses to take in order to ensure the safety of everyone present at the worksite. Starting a new business isn’t easy; it requires a lot of time, effort, sweat, and maybe even tears. What we don’t want is for it to require bloodshed as well. By enforcing OSHA training at the beginning of a worker’s employment, you can help put your mind at ease knowing that all of your employees are well-versed in accident prevention and recognizing workplace hazards.
