OSHA partners with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to revise handbook for small businesses

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has collaborated with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to revise a handbook on workplace safety and health for small-business employers.

The “Small Business Safety and Health Handbook” highlights the benefits of implementing an effective safety and health program, provides self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards, and reviews important workplace safety and health resources for small businesses.

The self-inspection checklists cover various work processes in general industry workplaces, such as fire protection, hazard communication, permit-required confined spaces, respiratory protection, and walking-working surfaces. The checklists are not intended for construction or maritime industries.

A section of the handbook lists OSHA and NIOSH resources available to help employers recognize and correct safety and health hazards in their workplace, including the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program. The handbook also gives employers information on whistleblower protection laws, training through OSHA’s education centers, and professional occupational safety and health associations with local chapters that small businesses can join.