Employers have a duty to ensure safe and healthful working conditions
OSHA requires employers to create a safe and healthy workplace. Learn more.
Decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and U.S. Courts of Appeal have reflected the importance of an employers duty to establish and maintain management practices that are appropriate for ensuring safe and healthful working conditions are maintained, and safe and healthful work practices are followed. OHSA continues to increase their recognition of the importance of effective safety and health program management through Standards, during inspections, in citations, through Consultation programs, and other efforts such as the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) which recognizes worksites with exemplary safety and health management.
In preparation for the Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines, OSHA requested information and comment from individuals, professional safety and health associations, safety and health consultants, labor representatives, trade associations, and Federal and State agencies. OSHA asked questions in several major areas of concern including:
- The nature of the risk from inadequate management
- The value of safety and health management guidance
- Appropriate methods for educating employers
- Incentives for effective management
Many of those who responded with comments expressed the belief that "safety and health program management made a major impact on loss prevention". Almost all endorsed the concept that "effective safety and health management is the decisive factor in ensuring worker safety and health". Most endorsed the idea of the issuance of guidelines. OSHA's conclusion was that "safety and health management guidelines will assist employers in their efforts to provide safe and healthful employment".
