This article was written by Josh Hancey, Safety Director for Helpside and a member of our Risk Management team.

I have worked with hundreds of employers all over the country and most have a negative perception of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Most employers have expressed that they feel like OSHA is trying to make their lives difficult or even trying to drive them out of business.

Working in the safety industry for so many years, I have a different view of OSHA. In my experience, OSHA understands that employers are not perfect. They know that it takes years to build a world-class safety program, and while there are several standards that are non-negotiable, they seem to be more lenient towards employers that are striving to build a solid safety program. I have met with OSHA offices all over the country, and they all have something in common; they want to workers to return home safe to their loved ones.

While OSHA is most notorious for issuing large citations, they offer a lot of free resources to help your company keep employees safe. OSHA.gov provides details on specific safety standards as well as links to handouts, trainings, posters, etc. OSHA also has an active YouTube channel and a Twitter page where they post everything from safety tips and videos to recently issued citations to help your company stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Here are a few more resources from the OSHA.gov website that I have found helpful:

For more information and questions about OSHA compliance or the resources that Helpside offers, please contact me, Josh Hancey at jhancey@helpside.com