Thousands of responsible employers have used OSHA’s 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines as a blueprint for setting up an effective safety and health program. OSHA has recently updated the Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs to reflect changes in the economy, workplaces, and evolving safety and health issues. The updated guidelines found in OSHA Publication 3855 – Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs is the primary reference for this course.
The program model contains seven core elements:
The seven core elements in a Safety and Health Management Program are interrelated and are seen as part of an integrated system. Actions taken under one core element can (and likely will) affect actions needed under one or more other elements. For example, workers must be trained in reporting procedures and hazard identification techniques to be effective participants. Thus, the "Education and Training" core element supports the “Worker Participation” core element. Progress in each core element is essential to achieve maximum benefit from the program.
You will find implementing these recommended practices also brings other benefits. Safety and health programs help businesses:
Read the material in each section to find the correct answers to each of the questions. After answering all questions, click the "Check Quiz Answers" button to see your score and a list of missed questions. To correct a question, return to the question, review the material, change your answer, and return to the last section page. Click the "Check Quiz Answers" again to recheck the results.
Do not use the browser's "Back" arrow or "Refresh" button to navigate course section pages. Use the dark tabs above (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.) to review/change missed questions.
Note: Videos and exercises in our courses are for information only and not required to view. Final exam questions will not be derived from the videos. OSHAcademy is not responsible for video content.
1. The seven core elements in a Safety and Health Management System are best viewed _____.
a. as separate programsManagement provides the leadership, vision, and resources needed to implement an effective safety and health program.
Management leadership means that business owners, managers, and supervisors do the following:
2. What is an example of how management can demonstrate real leadership to safety and health?
a. Prioritizing safetyTo be effective, workers and their representatives need to participate in safety and health programs.
Worker participation means workers are involved in establishing, operating, evaluating, and improving the safety and health program.
Here are some reasons why workers should participate in safety:
Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for exercising a variety of rights guaranteed under the OSH Act, such as filing a safety and health complaint with OSHA, raising a health and safety concern with their employers, participating in an OSHA inspection, or reporting a work-related injury or illness. OSHA vigorously enforces the anti-retaliation protections provided under 11(c) of the OSH Act and other federal statutes. For more information, see www.whistleblowers.gov.
3. According to the OSH Act of 1970, which of the following actions may employees engage in without fear of employer retaliation?
a. Preventing others from doing a jobOne of the "root causes" of workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents is the failure to identify or recognize hazards that are present, or otherwise anticipated.
A critical element of any effective safety and health program is a "proactive," ongoing process to identify and assess such hazards. Hazard identification and assessment are proactive because they are processes that occur before someone gets hurt.
Effective hazard identification and assessment includes:
4. Why is hazard identification and assessment considered a "proactive" process?
a. They occur before someone gets hurtHazard prevention and control processes are conducted after hazards are identified and assessed. They help employers prevent existing and potential hazards and eliminate or otherwise control hazards in the workplace.
Effective hazard prevention and control methods protect workers and have the following benefits:
5. What is the first priority in the "Hierarchy of Controls" to prevent hazards in the workplace?
a. Administrative controlsSafety and health education, through general instruction and technical training, is important for informing workers and managers about workplace hazards and controls so they can work more safely and be more productive.
It is important to emphasize both instruction and technical training. If employees do not know why safety is important, they are less likely to care working safely.
Safety and health education also provides workers and managers with a greater understanding of the safety and health program itself, so they can contribute to its development and implementation.
Effective safety and health education programs have the following characteristics:
6. Which of the following is one of the most effective technical safety training methods?
a. Lecture and orientationOnce a safety and health program has been established, it should be evaluated initially to verify it is implemented as intended. Employers should periodically, which means at least annually, step back, assess the program. Employers should assess what is working and is not working, and assess whether the program is on track to achieve its goals.
Whenever these assessments identify opportunities to improve the program, management should adjust and monitor how well the program performs.
Sharing the results of monitoring and evaluation within the workplace, and celebrating successes, will help drive further improvement.
Effective program evaluation and improvement include the following characteristics:
7. In effective safety and health programs, the periodic evaluation and improvement process occurs _____.
a. continuallyIn today’s economy, staffing agencies assign an increasing number of workers to work at specific “host” worksites under the host employer's direction and control.
Examples include seasonal workers, such as delivery drivers and warehouse workers, who help fill temporary staffing needs. In these situations, the staffing agency and the host employer need to communicate and coordinate to provide and maintain a safe work environment for their workers.
Some workers are employed by a host employer and others by a contractor or subcontractor in other situations.
Examples include electrical or mechanical contractors working in a facility, a vendor installing or maintaining equipment, or long-term contractors providing building cleaning and maintenance. In these circumstances, each employer and contractor must consider how its work and safety activities can affect the safety of other employers and workers at the site.
Characteristics of effective multi-employer communication and coordination include:
8. On multi-employer worksites, who is responsible for providing technical training for specific tasks and procedures?
a. Host employersThe seven program elements discussed in this module emphasize a proactive approach to managing workplace safety and health. Unfortunately, traditional methods focus on a reactive approach. Let's look at the difference between the two approaches.
The concept of continuous improvement is central to an effective safety and health culture and related programs. W. Edwards Deming championed a continuous improvement process that became known as the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle. We will take a closer look at this process in the next module.
9. In which approach to continuous improvement will solutions emphasize preventing hazards and accidents?
a. Integrated approachResponsible employers know the primary goal of a safety and health program is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, and the suffering and financial hardship these events can cause for workers, their families, and their employers.
Employers may find effectively implementing the best practices described in each of these core elements brings other benefits as well such as:
10. The main goal of a safety and health program is to _____ workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths.
a. decreaseRead the material in each section to find the correct answer to each quiz question. After answering all the questions, click on the "Check Quiz Answers" button to grade your quiz and see your score. You will receive a message if you forgot to answer one of the questions. After clicking the button, the questions you missed will be listed below. You can correct any missed questions and check your answers again.