The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a variety of resources to help small businesses keep their employees safe on the job. One of the most popular is the Small Business Safety and Health Handbook, available in English and Spanish. OSHA worked with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to comprehensively update this publication in 2021.  

The handbook features a set of self-inspection checklists to help employers identify and address workplace hazards. The checklists cover a range of workplace safety and health topics for general industry workplaces, such as electrical safety, fire protection, hazard communication, materials handling, and personal protective equipment. OSHA recently added new checklists for ergonomics, heat illness prevention, infection control plans, workplace violence, and young workers. Each one includes a list of relevant OSHA standards and other resources from OSHA and NIOSH.

The handbook summarizes the benefits of an effective safety and health program. It also reviews key safety and health resources for small business, including the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program and the NIOSH Small Business Resource Guide. For more information, visit OSHA’s Small Business page.

“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 Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick. “Safety has to be a continuous process that involves preventing injuries and illnesses, and saving lives.” “Small businesses face many unique challenges and providing a safe and healthy work environment shouldn’t be one of them,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The updated Small Business Handbook is an easy-to-use tool to help keep your most valuable asset – your employees – safe and healthy on the job.”

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An article authored by NFASSP member Ralph Estep, PhD, RN, CSP, CIH and Jillian Brown, MS, CSP titled Safety Challenges of Commissioning & Operation of a Covid-19 Treatment Only Hospital has been published in the April 2021 edition of Professional Safety Journal*.

Congratulations to Ralph and Jillian for being published! Thank you for showcasing Western New York’s health and safety ingenuity.

*PSJ is a benefit of ASSP membership.

Each peer-reviewed issue of Professional Safety offers practical guidance, techniques and solutions to help occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals identify hazards, protect people, prevent injuries, improve work environments and educate management that investing in safety is a sound business strategy. Annual subscription is included with your membership.

The WISE Mentoring program successfully connects today’s most talented and experienced women mentors with rising and aspiring mentees. This pairing is designed to encourage and empower mentees to more effectively advance their careers through alignment with identified business objective, skill development, career option consideration, and network formation. All discussions are strictly confidential between the two parties. If you are an SH&E practitioner seeking to chart a successful career path or a seasoned pro eager to share experiences and insight, please visit the ASSP WISE website for more information.