Safety consultations don’t have to be scary
Inviting L&I safety consultants into your store may seem scary, but Rick Means, our Director of Safety and Education, has been on many of our members’ consultation visits and found them to be more helpful than scary.
These consultations offer businesses the same experience of an L&I compliance officer safety inspection, but without penalties.
Consultation Program benefits include:
- Helping businesses stay compliant with Washington Industrial Safety Health Act rules
- Updates on safety best practices
- Creating and maintaining effective safety programs
- Lowering hidden costs of workplace injury claims such as worker turnover and operation interruptions
- Keeping worker’s comp premiums as low as possible
- Removing the business from the compliance “radar” for a year, with a few exceptions
There are two types of consultations that can be performed simultaneously or separately:
- Safety – reviews physical hazards such as electrical, machines, ladders, and building structure.
- Industrial Hygiene – covers less obvious safety items including chemical use, air/noise quality, and confined space hazards.
The inspector will ask to see the business’s Accident Prevention Program (APP), safety meeting minutes, OSHA 300/300A forms (if applicable), and training materials.
These consultants also assist employers in improving their safety programs by identifying hazards and following applicable safety rules. Following an inspection, the consultant will create a list of items in need of attention and ask you to correct them as soon as possible and serious issues within 30 days. No fines or penalties will result from items found during a consultation and the report will not be seen by any other L&I divisions.
A Safety Consultation is another step toward building a resilient safety system, and improving the work safety environment improves worker retention and productivity.
Members who enroll in our free Ambassador Program may choose to have a member of the Ambassador team join them during an L&I field consultation visit. Businesses can also schedule a free L&I consultation directly. For more information, call us at 360.646.9148 or send us an email at [email protected].
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