One of the best things about the safety and health profession is the availability of resources.
Resources are essential to the understanding and development of safety and health policies and procedures.
They also give us the opportunity to create and implement proven strategies that set the stage for constant improvements in the safety and health management system.
A list of resources is available from many sources. Here are some of the resources that have been used in a variety of industries.
Resource Number One:
Home | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)
This website is the primary resource for the wide variety of safety and health professionals. The website is one of the most organized and user-friendly of all government websites.
When the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was passed, one of the primary provisions of the act was the creation of employer consultation. The website holds up to its requirements to provide easy access to a number of topics regarding the implementation of required standards. The publications page is basically a library of tool box talks and lesson plans. The Quicktakes Newsletter is available at no charge. Just sign up and get the latest news from the administration every two weeks.
Also don’t miss the A to Z Index for a quick reference to hundreds of topics.
OSHA’s A-Z Index | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Resource Number Two:
National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health | NIOSH | CDC
National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) was established at the same time as OSHA in the OSH Act of 1970 in Section 22.
NIOSH is the research arm for the OSHA folks. This website is also fairly easy to use. It also has an A to Z Index for quick reference. The website includes topics on: Grants and Funding, Training Resources, Newsroom and Science Blog.
One of the most popular sources on this site is the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards | NIOSH | CDC). This guide gives the user excellent information on a wide range of chemicals.
Another valuable area on the NIOSH site is the information found in the FACE Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program | NIOSH | CDC. This resource reviews work related accidents reports in detail. A great tool for teaching safety and health compliance.
Recently, NIOSH has produced a number of safety apps for our personal devices. Check out the app page, NIOSH Mobile Applications | NIOSH | CDC.
Resource Number Three:
State Operated OSHA Consultation Websites
On-Site Consultation | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)
These websites are the best kept secret for many small employers and safety professionals. Here are just a few:
Mississippi: Health and Safety Consultation | Center for Continuing Education (msstate.edu)
New Mexico: New Mexico OSHA Consultation (nm.gov)
North Carolina: Safety and Health Consultation Program | NC DOL How about free PowerPoints?
Oregon: Oregon Occupational Safety and Health: Consultation services: Consultation services: State of Oregon (By the way, Oregon has its own YouTube Channel for safety)
Texas: OSHCON: Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program (texas.gov) One of the favorites. This site has free compliance programs in word.
Resource Number Four:
Center for Construction Research and Training
CPWR | A global leader in construction safety & health research & training
Another gem! Great resource for toolbox talks, PowerPoints, and training materials. Try out the following resource on CPWR: CPWR | CPWR Websites.
The number one on this list is ELCOSH: eLCOSH: Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health.
Here are just a few of the available topics:
eLCOSH: Stop Construction Falls
Resource Number Five:
Bureau of Labor and Statistics
IIF Home: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Page
This website is for the data nerd. Filled with all types of data related to injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the workplace.
For example:
Total nonfatal work injury and illness rates, private industry charts
Number of fatal work injuries by employee status
Number of fatal work injuries by employee status (bls.gov)
Resource Number Six:
Surprise! Grainger’s NowHow Page!
Grainger KnowHow Articles – Industry Insights & News To Help Grow Your Business
You can search by Safety and Health, Operation, Equipment, Industry, and People. On the Safety and Health link, you can search sixteen topics. Sign up for their email and pick your industry.
Resource Number Seven:
Don’t forget the online magazines and blogs that offer a ton of information regarding safety and health. Some might require a free subscription to access their information, but it is worth it.
Here are a few:
Safety: Safety+Health Magazine (safetyandhealthmagazine.com)
Fall Protection Resources – Simplified Safety
Resource Number Eight:
For the offshore industry, this is the one:
Home | Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (bsee.gov)
The Safety Alert information gives us details of accidents and potential accidents that took place. “BSEE Safety Alerts are tools used by BSEE to inform the offshore energy industry of the circumstances surrounding an incident or a near miss. They also contain recommendations that should help prevent the recurrence of such an incident on the OCS.”
Resource Number Nine:
All safety and health professionals should be aware of the American Society of Safety Professionals.
American Society of Safety Professionals Membership | ASSP
This website host a number of categories for the safety and health professional. Here are a few:
Resources. Here you find free learning resources, risk assessment and management information, and business and leadership skills just to name a few.
And the last one was a surprise this year!
Resource Number Ten:
Well, how can we end the year without a resource from Mike Roe, that’s right the Dirty Jobs guy and his new excavating and trenching safety app.
National Excavator Initiative – NEI (safeexcavator.com)
This app has a built in locator that will connect to any state to get an 811 Dig ticket. Please check it out.
And this is the best news. We have not spent a dime. Have a safe and healthful holiday and a safe and healthful 2023.