Safety first: OSHA has high expectations for your business--are you in compliance?

AuthorWilliams, Dionne
PositionOFFICESAFETY

Managers or owners of businesses--including CPA firms--may not regard their work environments as health and safety hazards, but Occupational Safety and Health Administration and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health regulations are applicable to all worksites, including office environments.

Understanding OSHA's jurisdiction, and your company's coverage under OSHA, is an important initial step in determining what safety and health measures should be taken in your workplace.

DIFFERENT GUIDELINES

Sec. 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages states to develop and operate their own job safety and health programs. OSHA approves and monitors state plans and provides up to 50 percent of an approved plan's operating costs.

OSHA-approved plans covering the private sector operate in 21 states and Puerto Rico. Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Virgin Islands plans cover state and local government employment only.

California, as one of these states with approved plans, must set job safety and health standards that are "at least as effective as" comparable federal standards. Most states adopt standards identical to federal ones, though they may also promulgate more stringent standards and standards covering hazards not addressed by federal standards. All states with OSHA plans also offer compliance assistance services to employers. Because state rules differ, employers need to be aware of their particular state requirements.

In the remaining states and territories, occupational safety and health jurisdiction is the responsibility of federal OSHA.

In California, every employer that has any person engaged in or permitted to work for hire, except for household services, has a legal obligation to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for employees, according to the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973.

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Companies are covered by OSHA and must comply with safety and health regulations to protect workers in their offices, unless the company is a sole proprietorship. OSHA does not have jurisdiction over individuals who own and operate sole proprietorships.

In states that have their own OSHA program, such as California, their safety and health regulations will have jurisdiction. In California, independent contractors are not covered by Cal/OSHA regulations, but this may vary in other states that administer their own state plans.

Cal/OSHA INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENTION...

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