A company’s occupational health and safety officer is in charge of developing and enforcing all safety and health regulations. This could include anything from safe heavy equipment operation to chemical handling guidelines to proper fire drill procedures. Designing safety programs, creating and maintaining safety forms, conducting program monitoring and training, and providing safety reports are among this person’s primary responsibilities.
The role of a safety officer was created to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s regulations (OSHA). The Department of Labor manages OSHA, which is a division of the US government. Its purpose is to ensure that employers provide safe working environments for their employees while also complying with various health and safety regulations. The occupational health and safety officer serves as the employer’s point of contact with OSHA.
This person is responsible for the majority of a company’s safety programs. This task could be as simple as customizing a basic fire safety plan to meet the company’s needs. It can also be as difficult as creating detailed safety programs from the ground up for company-specific practices like biohazardous waste disposal. The specifics of the various plans are determined the type of business being operated and the types of equipment, tasks, or materials that are frequently used during operations.
The occupational health and safety officer is also in charge of creating or obtaining any forms related to the practice once a safety plan has been created. OSHA has several form templates with information on a variety of general safety practices, such as fire safety and first aid in the workplace. Log sheets for recording machine inspection times, inventory control sheets for controlled substances, and even consent forms authorizing the employer to conduct certain background checks before an employee is approved for specific positions within the company are examples of other forms.
These officers are in charge of ensuring that all safety programs are not only developed, but also implemented. New hires must be educated on all of the company’s policies and procedures. Similarly, current employees may be given refresher training courses on a regular basis to ensure that they are up to date on the company’s most important safety procedures.
OSHA not only enforces various safety regulations, but they also monitor businesses to ensure that the safety practices are being followed. The occupational health and safety officer is in charge of reporting minor safety incidents to OSHA once a year. He must also report any serious safety issues to OSHA right away, especially if they have resulted in serious injury or death.