What Is an OSHA Safety Plan?
An OSHA Safety Plan is a written document that describes the process for identifying the physical and health hazards that could harm workers, procedures to prevent accidents, and steps to take when accidents occur. The written safety plan is your blueprint for keeping workers safe. Many organizations compile their activity-specific safety plans into a single safety manual.
Why Have a Written Safety Plan?
Federal OSHA and at least 24 states require written safety plans for specific workplace activities and for more than a dozen chemicals. Many states require written safety and health plans under workers’ compensation rules. Many organizations adopt voluntary safety plans to increase worker productivity, to prepare for special emergencies, and for workplace security. OSHA Mandatory Written Plans Out of all of OSHA’s many safety rules, there are 18 for general industry workplaces that require written plans or procedures and 10 written construction safety plan requirements for the construction industry. There are also requirements for written safety procedures for 16 hazardous substances listed under Subpart Z of the general industry rules for Toxic and Hazardous Substances, such as asbestos and vinyl chloride. Activities or safety programs that require written OSHA safety plans include:
- Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200(e))—Failure to have a written chemical worker right-to-know plan is a very frequently cited OSHA violation
- Emergency Action Plan and Fire Prevention Plan (29 CFR 1910.38 and 29 CFR 1910.39)
- Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (29 CFR 1910.1030(c)) at facilities that anticipate employee exposure to blood
- HAZWOPER Safety and Health Plan (29 CFR 1910.120(b)
- Respiratory protection, permit-required confined spaces, lockout/ tagout, process safety management, construction fall protection, and construction excavations Basic Safety Plan Elements OSHA recommends that each written plan include the following basic elements:
- Policy or goals statement
- List of responsible persons · Hazard identification
- Hazard controls and safe practices
- Emergency and accident response
- Employee training and communication
- Recordkeeping Safety Plans and Other Compliance Tools to Help YOU!
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SOURCE: BLR … Compliance | Safety Plan compliance tips and considerations | Reprint
