If you are unable to contact your local OSHA Area Office, you may contact the appropriate OSHA Regional Office for information and assistance. Click on your state on the map below.

It is your responsibility to know what you have in your workplace that could hurt your workers. Worksite analysis is a group of processes that helps you make sure that you know what you need to keep your workers safe. You may need help in getting started with these processes. You can call on your state OSHA Consultation Program or employ private consultants for this help.

Once you know what your requirements are under OSHA, you can use those requirements as a guide to developing and implementing a safety program for your workplace.

Poor housekeeping is a major contributor to low morale and sloppy work in general, even though it is not usually the cause of major accidents. Most safety action programs start with an intensive cleanup campaign in all areas of business to get the attention of the staff.

Many OSHA publications are either posted in full text on the Internet, or available for downloading in .pdf format, at the OSHA web site. A single free copy of many publications can also be obtained from OSHA Publications, 200 Constitution Ave, NW, Room North 3101, Washington, DC 20210; by phone at (202) 693-1888; or by Fax at (202) 693-2498. Be sure to include a self-addressed mailing label with your request. Below is a partial list of publications that are available for free:

Various types of consultation services are offered by OSHA and NIOSH to help employers voluntarily comply with OSHA standards and set up effective safety and health programs.

Two basic publications of the National Safety Council will give you many sources of technical information. The Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations is a basic reference book for all safety and health work. The second, Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene, contains excellent information on toxic materials and recommended health and hygiene practices. Both of these references have other sources listed at the end of each chapter that may help you in solving specific problems.

As an employer, you must respect employees' rights under the OSH Act. Employees' rights include:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration can provide helpful information and resources for you, designed to help you comply with OSHA requirements and create a safety program for your business.

You may defend against a citation by showing that:

The minimum penalty for a serious willful violation of OSHA is $5,000; the maximum penalty is $70,000. The minimum "base" penalty for a nonserious willful violation is $5,000. However, this penalty amount can be seen as a "starting point." Proposed penalties may be reduced based upon the following factors:

You may apply for a temporary variance from a safety standard when compliance cannot be achieved by the standard's effective date because of unavailability of professional or technical personnel, materials, or equipment, or because necessary construction cannot be completed within the prescribed time.

If a workplace inspection reveals violations of safety and health regulations or of your general duty to provide a safe and healthful workplace, OSHA will issue you a citation. The citation will charge you with a particular violation, set a time for abatement or correction of the condition, notify you of proposed penalties, and inform you of the procedure for contesting the charges before the Review Commission, should you choose to do so.

Although small businesses (with 10 or fewer employees) are exempt from most of the injury and illness recording requirements, that small business exemption does not apply to the following accident reporting requirements:

An addition to the immediate reporting of serious accidents, every employer covered by OSHA that has 10 or more employees and is not exempt must maintain certain records of job-related accidents and injuries.

OSHA enforces occupational safety and health regulations by inspecting workplaces, issuing citations, and imposing monetary penalties for violations of OSHA safety and health standards.

Regardless of the size of your business, if you have any employees you must display posters that inform employees of their job safety rights. Spanish and English copies of these posters (OSHA 3165 and 3167) are available at the OSHA web site.

OSHA requires every employer, unless exempt, to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements.

In the event that your business uses or stores extremely hazardous or toxic substances (such as hydrochloric acid or methane), you have to let the community know so that it can prepare itself in the event of accidental spills or emissions of those substances. This is more than just consideration; it is federal law.

An important part of complying with OSHA's workplace safety rules is making sure that you deal appropriately with hazardous materials. However, OSHA isn't concerned merely with actual safety precautions. It also places a great deal of focus on paperwork and, in particular, with your following the regulations that require recordkeeping and communication about potential hazards.

These data sheets play significant roles in several recordkeeping requirements.

You must develop and maintain a written hazard communication program for your employees. This program must:

The general industry standards apply not only to manufacturing, wholesale, and retail establishments, but to any employment in any industry — including construction, maritime, and agriculture — to the extent that particular standards for these other industries do not apply.

How do you ensure that your workplace conforms to the general safety standards that are imposed by OSHA? We've broken the process down into four steps:

The heart of OSHA compliance is becoming aware of its published standards, which address specific hazards. The standards are divided into four major categories based on the type of work being performed: