OSHA Consultation Services FAQs

Nothing. It's free! Consultation services are already paid for with your tax dollars and there are no additional charges. All companies can utilize the consultation services.

The Oklahoma OSHA Consultation service is designed to help both employers and employees prevent workplace injuries and illnesses by:

•Guiding the employer in the development of a fully functional safety and health program which addresses the areas of management leadership, employee participation, workplace analysis, hazard prevention and control and training. This is in addition to assisting with the OSHA required written programs.

•Identification of physical hazards which may involve machine guarding; fire and flammable materials; electrical; material handling and storage; falls; personal protective equipment; and, other hazards.

•Identification and monitoring of health exposure hazards, such as noise, and toxic air contaminants such as organic vapors, metal fumes, silica, harmful dusts and other substances.

•The Oklahoma Department of Labor does not assess fines or penalties. Our service allows an employer to benefit from professional assistance which covers the same regulations followed by Federal OSHA.

The employer is obligated to correct all serious hazards found by the consultant within a reasonable period of time. Extensions are granted if a hardship is identified and if the employer is providing interim protection from the hazard for employees. For regular consultation visits, a statement of assurance of correction for each hazard is acceptable. For special program consultations a follow-up visit is usually conducted to verify the correction of hazards.

All information is kept confidential. The only time Federal OSHA is contacted is on the rare occasion a company refuses to correct serious hazards within a reasonable period of time, but only after the ODOL has made every attempt to work with the company to eliminate the hazard.

The expense in correcting hazards are usually minor. Keep in mind, the long-term and often hidden costs of failing to correct a hazard are often much greater than the short-term costs of correction.

Onsite training and education by consultants is generally informal, occurring during the process of the consultation visit, involving both the employer and the employees. Training may also be conducted when an employee requests a visit for that purpose.

As the employer, the decision is yours. Although most employers prefer a comprehensive survey, you may request a visit for specific areas or technical assistance. Also, you may alter the scope of your request or terminate the visit at any time. ODOL OSHA consultants can only visit your site by invitation.

Our service extends to all eligible companies who request it. All information is kept confidential with signing of a confidentiality agreement; therefore, no hazards or processes which may be a trade secret observed in your facility will be discussed in another place of business.

There a couple methods of exemption:

Companies with an open OSHA Consultation in the process of correcting an identified hazard are exempt, since they are making a good faith effort to correct a identified hazard.

SHARP is another special program for those companies wishing to go the extra mile in establishing an exemplary safety and health program. Certification provides up to a two-year exemption from Federal OSHA's general schedule inspections.

The time may vary from a couple of hours to a full day, depending on the size of your facility and the scope of assistance requested. Should exposure monitoring be requested or recommended, additional days are scheduled.

OSHA consultants are trained on a variety of subject matters that relate to occupational safety and health. Each consultant receives training from OSHA at the OSHA Training Institute. The courses are required for all consultants and OSHA compliance officers. Consultants are looking at the same hazards and violations in a workplace as OSHA compliance officers and as result need the same quality of training. Consultants also have college degrees in areas of Safety and Health Management. In addition,

consultation may have certifications in areas of focus, such as being a Certified Industrial Hygienist or a Certified Safety Professional.

Consultation services are available upon request by completing the OSHA Consultation Request Form and submitting by email or by calling any of the following numbers:

(Add link to request form)

Oklahoma City 405-521-6141

If you have questions about OSHA regulations relating to your specific situation, you can contact OSHA Consolation directly or submit a question by email. Please see OSHA Consultation Contact and email list.

Under the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees regardless of the size of business. Employers must comply with OSHA standards under the OSH Act. For assistance request an OSHA Consultation (add link to request form, phone and email).

OSHA's Consultation Program offers free and confidential safety and occupational health advice in all states across the U.S., with priority given to high-hazard worksites. -The Consultation Program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort, and employers can find out about potential hazards at their workplace, improve programs that are already in place, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections. No citations or penalties are issued and the employer's only obligation is to correct serious job safety and health hazards. For assistance request an OSHA Consultation (add link to request form, phone and email).

OSHA Consultation provide advice, education, and assistance to businesses (particularly small employers), trade associations, local labor affiliates, and other stakeholders who request help with occupational safety and health issues. We work with professional organizations, unions, and community groups concerning issues of safety and health in the workplace. To setup a presentation contact Jason Hudson at- 405-496-7458 or Jason.hudson@labor.ok.gov

OSHA's Consultation Program offers free and confidential safety and occupational health advice in all states across the U.S., with priority given to high-hazard worksites. -The Consultation Program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort, and employers can find out about potential hazards at their workplace, improve programs that are already in place, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections. No citations or penalties are issued and the employer's only obligation is to correct serious job safety and health hazards. For assistance request an OSHA Consultation (add link to request form, phone and email).

• Employers with more than ten employees and whose establishments are not classified as a partially expempt industry must record work-related injuries using OSHA forms 300, 300A, and 301.
• Partially exempt industries include establishments in specific low hazard retail, service, finance, insurance or real estate industries and are listed in Appendix A to Subpart B of 1904 Recordkeeping Standards
• Employers who are required to keep Form 300, the Injury and Illness log, must post Form 300A, the summary of Work related Injuries and Illlnesses in their workplace every year from February 1 to April 30. For more information, visit OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements.

For answers on what is recordable under OSHA regulations, see the recordkeeping standard (add link to 1904) Also, keep in mind the following:

• Covered employers must record all work-related fatalities;
• Covered employers must record all work-related injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, loss of consciousness or medical treatment beyond first aid;
• Employers must record significant work-related injuries or illnesses diagnoses by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness;
• OSHA's definition of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities are those in which an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the condition. In addition, if an event or exposure in the work environment significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness, this is also considered work-related. Injuries include cases such as, but not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation;
• Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease (i.e. contact dermatitis), respiratory disorder (i.e. occupational asthma, pneumoconiosis), or poisoning (i.e. lead poisoning, solvent intoxication).

For more information, visit OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements or Detailed Guidance for OSHA's Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Rule (link to 1904)

The OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers (add link) offer courses on topics such as hazardous materials, machine guarding, ergonomics, confined space, excavation, electrical hazards, and fall protection. OTI Education Center courses also offer industry-specific courses that align with OSHA National Emphasis Programs (NEP), such as the oil and gas industry, nursing homes, and crane hazards. There are a number of one-day seminars in subject areas such as safety and health management, recordkeeping, health care ergonomic guidelines, accident investigation, and emergency evacuation for students unable to attend the full-week courses but who would like to benefit from the training curriculum.

• OSHA does not endorse commercial products.
• While OSHA does not approve or endorse products, there are a small number of products which if used in a workplace do require approval before being acceptable to OSHA. Products which use electric energy, liquid petroleum gas, and fire suppression equipment, to name a few, must be "acceptable" to OSHA. This generally means that the product must be tested and certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). An NRTL is a private-sector organization that OSHA has recognized as meeting the legal requirements in 29 CFR 1910.7 to perform testing and certification of products using consensus based test standards. See the complete list of products requiring NRTL approval. Products that require testing and certification by an NRTL can be submitted directly to the NRTL for testing.

If you believe working conditions are unsafe or unhealthful, we recommend that you bring the conditions to your employer's attention. At any time, a worker may file a complaint with OSHA to report a hazardous working condition and request an inspection. If the condition clearly presents a risk of death or serious physical harm and there is not enough time for OSHA to inspect, the worker may have a legal right to refuse to work. To file a complaint you must contact Federal OSHA (add link to OSHA compliant form), not OSHA Consultation.

First, we have to determine what work sector you are in.

• Private Sector employees work primarily for businesses or non-profit agencies. Contact federal OSHA(add link).
• Public sector employees performing public services for the state, county or city. Contact PEOSH(add link).
• Workers or their representatives may file a complaint online or by phone with the local OSHA or PEOSH office and request an inspection of a workplace if they believe there is a violation of a safety or health standard, or if there is any danger that threatens physical harm. A worker may also ask OSHA or PEOSH not to reveal his or her name. In addition, anyone who knows about a workplace safety or health hazard may report unsafe conditions to OSHA or PEOSH, and OSHA or PEOSH will investigate the concerns reported.

If a worker believes an employer has retaliated against them for exercising their safety and health rights, they should contact their local OSHA office right away. A whistleblower complaint must be filed with OSHA within 30 calendar days from when the retaliatory decision was made and communicated to the worker. OSHA will accept a complaint in any language. Call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or contact your local OSHA office. If you are in the Public Sector call the local PEOSH office at 405-496-6100.

You can research your employer's inspection history through OSHA's establishment search. Type in the name of your company and choose the dates you want to cover.

No. Current and former employees, or their representatives, have the right to access injury and illness records. Employers must give the requester a copy of the relevant record(s) by the end of the next business day.

Many OSHA standards require employers to provide personal protective equipment to protect them from job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. With few exceptions, OSHA requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment when it is used to comply with OSHA standards. These typically include: hard hats, gloves, goggles, safety shoes, safety glasses, welding helmets and goggles, face shields, chemical protective equipment and fall protection equipment.

OSHA does not require employers to provide heat or air conditioning for work spaces. OSHA does recommend temperature control in the range of 68-76 °F. The qualities of good indoor air quality ( IAQ ) should include comfortable temperature and humidity, adequate supply of fresh outdoor air and control of pollutants from inside and outside of the building.Employers are responsible for protecting workers from temperature extremes.