Are you wondering why OSHA is important to business? The Occupational Safety And Health Administration aims to strengthen your employees and business. It lays down policies and regulations, including those covered in OSHA 10 General Industry, that help in making the workplace safe.
Employees are the biggest assets of any company, and you need to make sure to prioritize their safety. The average cost of injuries, illnesses, and workplace fatalities is 170 billion annually and the figure is growing at an alarming rate.
You must have heard about OSHA, which is a federal agency that operates under the United States Department of Labor. Since its inception, workplace fatalities have decreased by 60%, and occupational injury and illness rates have reduced by 40%.
In this article, you will learn about OSHA importance and how it affects your business.
Frequent Examinations
OSHA conducts inspections to ensure your company is staying true to the rules and regulations. These examinations improve the performance of your employees and the overall work quality of your company. Such examinations are conducted for imminent danger, severe injuries and illnesses, worker complaints, referrals, etc. Last but not least, through these inspections, your employees are able to convey their concerns confidentially.
OSHA has Best Strategies in Place
OSHA takes care of the health and safety of 130 million workers. Their skilled team plans their interventions and strategies based on discoveries in science and technology to guarantee the safety of your employees. Their experts have extensive knowledge and can provide your employees with persuasive and well-executed demonstrations they can apply in real time, and this serves as an important purpose of OSHA for business, especially when considering OSHA training online.
It is very important that the educator is competent, effective and equipped with creative teaching methods that are easy to understand. OSHA provides you with effective mentors.
Ensures Responsibility
As we mentioned in the beginning, you are responsible for the safety of your employees. OSHA can simplify this challenging task for you. It will monitor all the activities within your company to ensure all the guidelines are followed strictly.
In case of violations, companies are fined to ensure they don’t show any negligence next time.
Prevents Workplace Hazards
As we informed you about the annual cost spent on workplace injuries, you can imagine how difficult it will be to manage the expenses for small and startup businesses.
OSHA is preventing your employees and business from accidents and setbacks, respectively. Now, you can invest your finances for the growth of your business.
Prevents Costly Toll on Employee
Nowadays, medical treatments cost us an arm and a leg. Injuries that are medically treated can cost your employees around $42,000.
By introducing an OSHA course in your company, you can prevent employees from bearing such a hefty amount.
Maintain Mental Health
The American Institute of Stress has concluded that around 80% of workers are stressed out. OSHA is to thank for ensuring that your employees don’t feel stressed as it conducts inspections and closely monitors the adherence to rules.
By chance, if one of your employees experiences an accident and is mentally disturbed by it, OSHA offers professional assistance to help him regain his mental stability.
Reduces Employee Turnover
If your employees don’t feel secure in their work environment, the probability of terminating their employment with your company will increase. OSHA strives to retain new talent and reduce attrition by making your company a Hazard-free workplace for them.
With the rise in employee count, more work will be produced, ultimately making your business prosper.
Boosts Company Productivity
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), productivity losses due to absenteeism cost American companies $225.8 billion yearly. We are certain that you don’t want to face such great losses.
OSHA training enables your employees to tackle sudden accidents and treat injuries promptly. Thus, your company will flourish as there will be more workforce with a reduced absenteeism rate.
Reduces Threat of Legal Action
Workplace hazards can sue your company. OSHA protects the reputation of your company by avoiding legal action. The certification your company will receive after completing the OSHA training can be used as evidence in legal matters to prove your company follows all the safety guidelines.
Creates technologically advanced workplace
When an accident occurs, prompt disclosure can save your employees and your company from potential damage. OSHA introduces cloud-based technology and mobile applications.
With your fingertips, you can report any accident in the nick of time. These apps will also educate your employees with updated information on how to manage workplace emergencies.
Record keeping system
OSHA keeps a record of all the injuries and mishaps that take place in your company. This documentation will keep you informed, and you can closely monitor every situation.
You can use this information and make comparisons to check how much progress you have made in the prevention of workplace hazards.
Minimises Product and Equipment Losses
Apart from personnel injuries, your industrial equipment may also sustain damage. There can be various reasons for that. Your staff may not be well acquainted with how to operate the equipment. They may also not be aware of the handling techniques.
Depending on your business type, your staff will be educated about different work equipment and what strategies and techniques are needed to handle them. This is only possible if you implement an OSHA training course in your company.
Improves your Company’s Image
OSHA makes sure that no accidents take place and no injuries are inflicted on your employees by closely monitoring compliance with guidelines.
This responsible attitude of your employees will ultimately create a credible image of your company in the market, attracting many clients and making your company progressive and customer-centric.
Prediction and Prevention
With the record-keeping system of OSHA, you will be able to predict if there are any chances of future accidents taking place. After meticulously analyzing the information you receive, you can plan strategies to prevent future blunders. Planning and strategizing beforehand will save time and resources when an accident takes place.
Conclusion
We are grateful to OSHA for looking after our employees, giving them more confidence, and enabling them to achieve their work-related goals. You can also elevate your business to a higher level by registering for an OSHA training course!
References
- How does OSHA affect a business? Creative Safety Supply – Industrial Label Printers, Floor Marking Tape, Safety Signs & Supplies.
- Osha adds value to business, work and life. (2007, May 10). Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
- Risk, R. (2020, March 9). What is OSHA and why is it important to your business? Rogue Risk | Business Insurance on Autopilot.