OSHA makes first major update to recommended safety guidelines nearly 3 decades

November 1st, 2016 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's voluntary guidelines for safety and health program management, a long-standing set of guidelines issued in 1989, are no longer in effect. The federal health and safety regulator recently announced the introduction of its Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs at the National Safety Congress in late October.

The new guidance updates many pieces of information intended to help businesses develop effective workplace health and safety programs. In particular, it addresses the many changes that occurred in the business world over the last 27 years. Perhaps the most noticeable change is the native organization of the information as a dedicated website as opposed to a physical document. That shift in presentation is one clear example of how how much has changed since OSHA last issued guidance.

EHS Today highlighted some of the most prominent changes present in the new documentation, noting advances in a variety of business processes and workflows rendered some of the previous guidance obsolete or dated. Differences include taking into account the increase in mobile workers who don't exclusively operate out of a single, fixed location, acknowledging the increasing role played by computers and automated processes, and pointing out hazards in fields that many consider mostly or totally safe, such as health care and transportation. Issues related to an increase in mostly or totally sedentary jobs - which in turn ties into increased risk for musculoskeletal diseases - as well as the rise of casual employment and the economy are also mentioned.

Devising the best possible company safety program
The new OSHA recommendations aren't mandatory, and there are no direct penalties for not following the guidelines. However, the website features instructions related to workplace safety program elements that OSHA feels are especially important and often integral to success.

It's ultimately up to individual businesses and EHS leaders to review the recommendations and determine how they apply to current workplace safety efforts. A thorough effort to identify and mitigate risks associated with job hazards can pay off the next time an OSHA inspector makes a visit.