Simple Steps to Help You Maintain Workplace Safety Compliance

Among the many safety goals that companies in all industries should have, compliance is usually at the top of the list. If you can remain compliant with OSHA standards and other regulations, you’re probably ahead of the game in terms of keeping employees protected.

The challenge, of course, is maintaining compliance, which can be more complicated than it sounds. However, with a few simple steps, you can go a long way toward maintaining workplace safety compliance.

Set Rules That Match Regulatory Standards 

Step one in making sure you have workplace safety compliance is having a clear set of safety rules and standards. All companies should have an employee handbook that outlines the company’s safety guidelines and expectations. Ideally, this should all but match the regulatory standards you have to meet. If you align your own safety regulations with that of OSHA and other regulatory agencies, meeting your own standards will mean you won’t have to worry about outside organizations finding violations. Obviously, enforcing those rules is another issue, but setting those standards is a good place to start.

Invest in Training

The best thing that any company can do to improve workplace safety and meet workplace safety compliance is to invest in training. That means investing both money and time in training employees the right way. Employees need consistent reinforcement in both the company’s rules and regulatory standards. The more training you give workers, the less likely they are to make a mistake and the more likely they will be to meet all compliance regulations. Even if the training gets redundant and tedious, frequent training is the best way to create a safe work environment.

Maintain Safety Records

When dealing with OSHA and similar regulatory agencies, good recordkeeping habits can go a long way. OSHA has specific guidelines for reporting injuries, illnesses, and accidents. But it doesn’t hurt to go the extra mile by maintaining records of close calls, self-inspections, safety training, and anything else connected to occupational safety. The more you focus on recordkeeping, the less likely you are to fall short of workplace safety compliance standards for recordkeeping.

Investigate Every Incident

On the topic of recordkeeping, OSHA requires that any accident that results in an injury or fatality gets reported. Of course, it helps to be familiar with these requirements. But it also helps to go further than the minimum when it comes to workplace safety compliance by investigating every accident, even if it doesn’t result in an injury. Even close calls and near misses should be investigated, even if it’s not mandatory. The more you investigate workplace safety, the more information you’ll have, which will help you spot previously unseen safety and compliance issues.

Emphasize Employee Engagement

As far as occupational safety is concerned, there’s almost no replacement for employee engagement. Managers and supervisors should have an open-door policy for any employee who wants to discuss compliance matters. If a worker believes the company is in violation of something, they should be encouraged to come forward so the issue can be corrected rather than workers feeling like they’ll be punished. When it comes to issues of compliance, the most important thing is getting it right. That’s why employees should feel free to come forward with concerns while supervisors should actively seek out feedback from workers.

Get Outside Help with Compliance Issues

Finally, the best way to keep up with compliance issues is to get help from an outside safety management system. At EHS Insight, our software solutions track and monitor every aspect of occupational health and safety, with a special emphasis on maintaining regulatory compliance. It’s a proven way of making sure you stay one step ahead of compliance matters.

If you want to prioritize workplace safety and compliance, let us know so that we can become your partner in occupational health and safety.