What You Need to Know About OSHA’s New ’Safe and Sound’ Campaign

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSH) is the national director of employee welfare and workplace safety. OSHA is not just a policymaker that enforces the directives it authors. Rather, OSHA is always at the forefront of improving and optimizing the workplace.

Recently, OSHA rolled out its new “Safe and Sound” campaign. This initiative builds upon many of the rudiments OSHA champions, but also brings a few new concepts and ideas into the fold. Here is what you need to know:

1. A Systematic ‘Find and Fix’ Approach

According to IMPO, OSHA has innovated a cutting-edge approach to bolstering workplace accountability. With this new methodology, employers and workers can proactively and routinely examine their workplaces to identify, isolate, and mitigate hazards before they cause injury, illness, or damages.

In addition, OSHA is taking on the role of educator and supporter, as opposed to enforcer and punisher. The new program offers compliance assistance, everyday tips, and comprehensive consultations for small and medium-sized businesses. Any business or employee can acquire educational materials, corresponding training, or information on common workplace safety hazards and how to prevent illness and injury – all for free.

2. Worker Participation

OSHA is a dynamic organization that values interactive work environments as much as anyone. As a result, OSHA is encouraging a more hands-on approach to training and education. This initiative invites employers to shift the paradigm of conformance from management to the employees themselves. Workers are encouraged to identify solutions, and managers are encouraged to bolster engagement. When workers are more involved, morale is generally higher. This in turn can lead to improved efficiency and productivity, which ultimately lowers overhead.

3. Emphasis on Management Leadership

At the same time, OSHA is pushing leaders to do what they do best: lead. “Management leadership” is no longer just a term in the “Safe and Sound” campaign; now, it is a way of life and a philosophy of modern commerce. OSHA encourages management to be steadfast in establishing, moderating, and catalyzing the presence of the program, supporting it with any resources they can cultivate.

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Instead of being an administrator, OSHA has now taken on the role of facilitator in the hopes it will transform the workplace culture and innovate safety awareness. The motto of the “Safe and Sound” campaign is simple: “Safe Workplace = Sound Business.” OSHA hopes to imbue this principle into businesses from the bottom to the top.

In addition to offering many incentives and initiatives to promote this effort, OSHA has also gone to work on the state level. OSHA will offer on-site consultation programs unique to each state. OSHA no longer dons the apparel of a federal institution, but now endeavors to be a civic stalwart on a more local level. Emphasizing management and leadership, OSHA looks to be a leader by serving each and every member of the workforce.

Tom Reddon is a forklift specialist, workplace safety enthusiast, and blog manager for the National Forklift Exchange. Follow him on Twitter: @TomReddon.