Our OSHA Basics series of articles explains basic, fundamental, and important topics related to OSHA and OSHA compliance.
In this one, we're going to introduce OSHA's consultation services to you, explain some of the benefits, and point you to places where you can learn more.
What comes to mind when you think of OSHA? Maybe regulations? Citations? Penalties?
Well, all of that IS a part of what OSHA does. But there's more to OSHA than that. Take a moment and think about the purpose of OSHA...what do you think their mission is? Here's how OSHA defines its mission:
With the Occupational Safety and Health act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to assure safety and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
Now, you may have seen where we were going with this even before the quote above, and admittedly the bold font we just used isn't all that subtle. But to not only make a point but to also underline it, notice the mentions to:
And the OSHA consultation services fit right "in there."
So, with that introduction completed, you're probably wondering what OSHA's consultation services are. Let's see how OSHA explains their consultation services:
OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories...On-Site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.
Sounds pretty nice, no?
Let's look at a few other common questions while we're at it.
No. As OSHA puts it, consultations are "no-cost."
No. As OSHA puts it, "No citations or penalties will be issued."
Not typically. Here is some of what OSHA has to say about that on their Consultations webpage:
[The} safety and health consultation program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort....The consultation is confidential and will not be reported routinely to the OSHA inspection staff.
Of course, that "will not be reported routinely" mention above makes you think they reserve the report on a non-routine basis. If this is something you're concerned about, it's worth asking your OSHA representative to explain more fully while considering consultation services.
Yes. If serious hazards are identified, you're obligated to address them. Here's how OSHA explains that:
Your only obligation will be to correct serious job safety and health hazards -- a commitment which you are expected to make prior to the actual visit and carry out in a timely manner.
According to OSHA, the onsite consultants will:
According to OSHA, the onsite consultants will NOT:
Those are all pretty related--they're things you might worry about. In addition, though, OSHA also notes that working with OSHA consultation services will not "guarantee that your workplace will pass an OSHA inspection." Good to know.
According to OSHA, the consultation process unfolds in four basic steps:
So, minus the lack of fear about citations and penalties, the general process is similar to the process of an OSHA inspection.
According to OSHA, after the consultation you'll have:
OSHA offers a few different programs for consultation services, including those listed below:
There's a whole bunch more information here about OSHA consultation services. Or, you can listen to our interview about OSHA's VPP & SHARP Programs.
Use this webpage to find the OSHA consultation services local office in your state.
An In-Depth Interview about OSHA's VPP & SHARP Consultation Services
If you want to learn even more on this topic, you'll find this interview with Oregon OSHA's Mark Hurliman, the VPP and SHARP Program Coordinator, about VPP and SHARP very insightful.
If you found this "OSHA Basics" article on incorporation by reference useful, you may also want to check out some of the following articles: