The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on March 16 the launch of its “Safety Champions” Program, a new cooperative initiative designed to assist employers in developing and implementing effective safety and health programs.
The Safety Champions Program encourages employers to take proactive steps, guided by a philosophy of continuous improvement, to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, helping businesses wherever they are on the path to safety and health success.
The seven essential elements of the Safety Champions Program incorporates aspects of the agency’s “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs”: Management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, prevention and control, education and training, program evaluation, and communication.
The program has three phases—Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced—allowing employers to build their safety and health programs over time and adopt best practices tailored to their needs and operations. Employers in the program can choose to work independently or collaborate with Special Government Employees, individuals with safety and health experience who work with OSHA to provide guidance and technical assistance.
Program information and sign-up are available on the agency’s website.
“By providing employers with these resources, we are putting American workers first and keeping them healthy and safe on the job,” Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement.
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