A new program launched by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is designed to help small and mid-sized businesses create health and safety programs that reduce the risk of injury to workers. The program, called the Safe and Sound Campaign, has been created to offer information and resources to smaller businesses that have owners who may assume safety programs are too expensive.
According to OSHA, there are a variety of ways that employers can tackle ensuring the safety of workers. However, successful programs have a few things in common. They include management involvement in programs and workers being engaged in programs. Additionally, programs should focus on identifying potential dangers and reducing risk.
To help employers, OSHA is offering a number of free resources. They include information, such as how to create safety programs and what common safety hazards are as well as training and education for employers and managers. A variety of resources can be found on OSHA’s site, and employers can also call OSHA for assistance on ways to prevent workers from being injured or killed.
If someone is injured on the job, a program exists to provide them with compensation for medical care as well as a percentage of their lost wages. Workers’ compensation benefits are designed to provide for medical expenses, including medications, treatment and physical therapy. If someone has a short- or long-term disability stemming from their work, workers’ compensation may provide a settlement. Although it is supposed to be available for workers even if their employer was not at fault for an accident, claims are sometimes wrongly denied, and a lawyer could assist someone in having a claim reviewed.