Let us say you have a law firm, and that law firm is built today and will be ready to open on Monday next week. Your Law Firm building has all the latest code compliance, fire compliance, and building specs including ADA. Once you begin to staff your new firm, you realize that each employee is represented by and falls under the OSHA regulation of “General Industry”. Since your employees are entitled to all that OSHA speaks to, you as the owner must comply and provide your employees with the following OSHA related requirements:
Safe Work Environment / Workspace / Workplace - Must-Have List (at minimum)
Safe Floors – Remaining Dry, Free of Debris, and Safe for Use
Safe Stairs – Same as floors, Plus proper handrails and fall Prevention
Safe Restrooms – Clean, Bio-disposal, Needle Controls, Hot Water Access
Biohazard Kits and Disposal
PPE for any Tasks or Jobs that Require PPE
OSHA First Aid Kit
Safe Ergonomics
Safe Sound Quality
Safe Air Quality
If over 25 Employees – Safety Committee
Evacuation Protocols for Emergencies
Shelter In Place for Emergencies
Hazard Training – Continual and Annual
Chemical Hazard Awareness Training (Annual)
Blood Pathogen Training (Annual)
Warning Signs for Employees that are compliant with ANSI and OSHA 1910.145
To comply with this list of “must-have” items, you will likely or have established an inspection protocol and assign people to perform audits and/or inspections to ensure these required actions are always in place for your law firm so that your employees are as safe as reasonably practical. Your law firm adopts the principle that your Employee’s Safety is the Number 1 Priority.
Monday comes and the firm opens! Several new clients meet your team at the doors when you unlock them and let them in. The new clients, aka visitors, aka customers, aka invited guests, walk into your firm, experience the safe floors, safe restrooms, and safe environment.
Question – Did the safety standards you put forth for your employees change or decline when you opened Monday morning? Answer – No Thus, OSHA standards and the merits and benefits to compliance to those standards provide a safe environment for anyone using the environment, whether they are an employee or a customer.
Asked another way – did the expectations of any of the “must-have
the property? Answer – No because if they did, OSHA regulation would be violated, and employees might be injured as a result.
Therefore, when a business is within the General Industry of OSHA’s regulations, then anyone using that business will benefit from the safe environment, workspace, and workplace, just as any employee will. Thus – OSHA applies here, and that is the foundation of why OSHA is applicable to an incident occurring at a commercial property.
About the Author – John Peterson - Safety Expert is a Commercial Safety Expert who specializes in Service, restaurant and retail, and commercial property safety. John evaluates safety plans, prevention plans, and strategies for slip, trip, and fall prevention. John also evaluates incidents involving striking, collisions, colliding with, or materials handling events where someone was hit or struck by equipment. For more information, please visit our website at www.rlcsafety.com.
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