Maintaining a Safe & Healthy Workplace for Public Employers

The PEOSH recommends that employers:

  1. Take an Active Role
    Employers should take active steps to implement the elements described below.

  2. Communicate with Workers
    Workers can help improve workplace safety and health in many ways. Employers should communicate with workers on a regular basis, and encourage workers to identify hazards, suggest solutions, and report incidents, injuries and illnesses promptly. An important vehicle for expanding involvement of people from all areas of the workplace is a well-functioning Joint Labor-Management Health and Safety Committee. Assistance can be found in the PEOSH Publication “Guide to Effective Joint Labor/Management Safety & Health Committees.”

  3. Find and Fix Hazards
    Employers should find and fix hazards. This involves a workplace inspection, a review of safety and health information, and an investigation of incidents. Hazards covered by existing PEOSH standards should be identified and addressed.

  4. Train Workers Exposed to Hazards
    Employers are also required to make sure that workers who are exposed to hazards are informed of their exposure and are trained to recognize those hazards, take protective measures, and follow emergency procedures.

    The PEOSH recognizes that an effective safety and health program takes the commitment and energy of many individuals and that includes both employers and employees. Employers and employees should work together to make the workplace as safe as possible. The PEOSH recommends that employees recognize the benefits of a successful health and safety program by participating in the program and cooperating with employers by following applicable provisions of health and safety standards and the employer’s health and safety workplace procedures.

Adapted fromPEOSH Guidelines for Occupational Safety and Health Programs"

These Guidelines: 

  • Assist employers in setting up a program for managing workplace safety and health in order to reduce the incidence of occupational deaths, injuries and illnesses
  • Provide a basic framework for systematically identifying and controlling workplace hazards, covered by PEOSH standards and the “general duty clause” of the PEOSH Act and for assuring compliance with those requirements
They do not impose duties on employers to control hazards that they are not already required to control.

 

 

Last Reviewed: 9/1/2016