labor lawAdivision of labor law center

OSHA, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is in charge of setting and regulating standards regarding safety in the workplace.

One of OSHA’s mandatory regulations is the posting of OSHA 300 form. This form must be displayed from February 1 to April 30 of each year. That means that Wisconsin employers should be displaying their 2008 Wisconsin OSHA 300 forms right now.

The 300 form provides companies and its employees with a recap of the previous year’s work-related accidents and illnesses, and the specific cause for each of these events.

The 2008 Wisconsin OSHA 300 form will contain all such events from 2007 for a particular company. This form gives workers a picture of their company’s status regarding safety in the workplace, and also gives employers a picture of problem areas. The company can then devise a plan for addressing those problems during the coming year.

Displaying the OSHA 300 form is mandatory for all employers. The poster doesn’t need to be accessible to the public, but must be easily reached by all workers. The most popular spots for these posters are the employee break room and the area near the time clocks. Any company which does not post the OSHA 300, or doesn’t keep the form up for the entire allotted time is breaking regulations.

OSHA does not tolerate non-compliance. Any business caught not displaying the proper posters will be subject to fines.

OSHA works hard to help employers prevent accidents and illnesses in the workplace. According to sources at the federal agency, “Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.”

OSHA also helps employers by providing free on-site evaluations. These evaluations help the companies spot and repair potential hazards within the workplace.

To help prevent accidents in the workplace, Wisconsin employers need to ensure that all workers take proper safety precautions and follow all safety procedures. Monitoring workplace accidents and illnesses is the charge of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), a federal agency.

States can establish their own agency for workplace health and safety, but they must be approved by the federal government. The state level agency must also be as least as effective as the federal OSHA. The process to set up a state agency begins with a developmental plan and ends with certification. To obtain certification, the state must provide assurance to the federal government that it will be able to run its agency efficiently within three years.

Twenty-two states have elected to set up their own agency. Regulations mandate that the state agency be as effective as the federal program.

Most state agencies, like Washington Occupational Safety and Health Administration (WISHA), mirror the federal OSHA program. For instance, WISHA conducts its own safety inspections. It also provides programs to train employers in occupational safety and health. Also like OSHA, Washington’s agency does on-site evaluations. These evaluations help employers find and fix hazards in the workplace, and are provided free of charge.

A few state agencies enact regulations that take the federal guidelines one step further. For example, California posts workplace hazards that the federal regulations require, but they also post additional workplace hazards.

Whether a company is covered by a state agency or the federal OSHA, that company must post an OSHA 300 form. The form must be displayed from February 1 to April 30 every year. The OSHA 300 is a tracking system for workplace accidents and illnesses, giving employees a picture of their company’s safety and heath record.

One of OSHA’s major goals is preventing workplace accidents. The agency urges all employers to educate their employees on the importance of health and safety on the job.

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