Why employers need to teach their workforce about common safety and health hazards!

About 30 million people are at risk of being exposed to one or more chemical hazards. There are an estimated 650,000 hazardous chemical products on the market today, with hundreds of new ones being launched every year. This is a major issue for both exposed employees and their employers. 

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) provides workers exposed to hazardous chemicals with right-to-know the identities and hazards of those materials, as well as appropriate protective measures. 

What is OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)?

OSHA is an acronym for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a governmental agency part of the United States Department of Labor established with federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces.

Assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by creating and enforcing standards and providing training, outreach, information, and assistance, according to OSHA’s mission.

Related: Living on the Edge: America’s Top 10 Most Hazardous Occupations

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How Does OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Protect workers?

Under OSHA, employers have the responsibility and obligation to provide a safe workplace. This includes providing workers with:

  1. A workplace that does not have serious hazards and adheres to the safety and health standards that OSHA has set forth.
  1. Proper training, keeping accurate records, performing tests to ensure a safe workplace.
  1. Provide PPE at no cost to the worker, medical tests when required by standards, post OSHA citations annually, notify OSHA of fatalities and injuries, and not retaliate or discriminate against a worker.

Why should you pursue a career in Work Health and Safety?

If you work in any sector, from construction to hospitality, having OSHA Compliance Training has several significant advantages that benefit both you and your employer.

For example, construction workers who work with hazardous waste materials, and office workers who are worried about asbestos, enclosed spaces, safety equipment, and other issues may all benefit from OSHA compliance training. The includes:

Additional Job Opportunities:

For employees with ambition, becoming OSHA authorized often leads them to join different work committees and end up making real, positive changes to their own company. Most states require businesses to form a safety committee or association to review all local safety practices to ensure that everyone is well aware and educated.

A Safe Workplace:

Completing the OSHA Certified Training will help you create a work atmosphere where you and all other employees are physically safer and have a better understanding of workplace hazards. In short, this training will boost employee productivity and improve employee retention by creating a healthy and positive working atmosphere for all.

Make Your Resume More Professional: 

If you've completed your training, you can update your resume (or LinkedIn profile, or other social media page) as soon as possible to highlight your skills. If you're unemployed, this is an easy way to show potential employers how you'd be a good match for their business.

In-demand & well-paid Career:

From 2019 to 2029, the overall employment of occupational health and safety professionals and technicians is expected to expand at a rate of 4%. The median pay for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians in 2020 was $72,530 per year.

What does it take to become a Workplace Health and Safety Officer?

While there are no formal academic requirements for working as a Work Health and Safety officer, most businesses prefer individuals who have completed at least a Certificate or training from an accredited institution, in Work Health and Safety.

Once you've got a job in the industry, the options to expand your skillset through extra courses or training are numerous.

Safety workers checking health measures
Photo by Aleksandarlittle from Freepik

San Juan College’s course Hazard Communication and Right-To-Know for Occupational Safety and Health Administration

San Juan College’s course Hazard Communication and Right-To-Know!, will teach students how to design, develop, and implement a safety management system for a variety of organizations to protect people from hazards in the workplace.

Make your workplace OSHA compliant

Hazard Communication and Right-To-Know!

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Course highlights:

Students will be introduced to the general safety requirements that any employee should be aware of and provide a comprehensive overview of general workplace safety that companies seek and can require their employees to understand.

Specialists and technicians will be required in a wide range of industries to ensure that employers adhere to both existing and new regulations. This has become more important after the COVID-19 pandemic as OSHA came with fresh guidelines for Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.

Learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  1. Assess the purpose of the Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM)
  2. Defend why HAZCOM is called the “Right-to-Know” standard
  3. Analyze why accidents happen despite proper HAZCOM training and the availability of personal protective equipment
  4. Evaluate HAZCOM programs in companies using the OSHA HAZCOM list
  5. Examine labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
  6. Recognize physical and health hazards associated with hazardous chemicals
  7. Recognize symbols used to identify hazards
  8. Prepare and implement a written HAZCOM program

Previous students who have completed this course have been hired by companies like:

  1. Shell
  2. Abbott
  3. Disneyland Resorts
  4. Los Alamos National Laboratory

Closing

We hope that this post has given you a deeper insight of  Occupational Safety and Health Administration .You may also seek for  frequently asked questions to for further information on the topic.

Don't forget to Explore more courses on unmudl from Financial Accounting to Computer Programming & IT and  workforce development skills to get you upskilled for job market.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Are there any Occupational Health and Safety Specialist courses available?

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