4 Safety Organizations You Need to Know About

There are many safety and health organizations that a safety professional or the person in charge of the health and safety of a company should be aware of. Making sure you are familiar with and engaged in these organizations ensures that you are up to date on occupational safety and health regulations, news, and best practices that may affect the safety and health of the employees in your workplace.

OSHA

The first organization you must be aware of is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is the most essential health and safety organization to be mindful of because employers must follow their established standards. OSHA created occupational health and safety standards that United States employers must comply with by law.

Become familiar with OSHA regulations by first identifying which standards apply to your workplace and then learning the standard's requirements that your company needs to comply with. Obligations may include training, inspections, and recordkeeping obligations. For example, if you work at a manufacturing facility and your employees wear fall protection, you want to understand and comply with fall protection regulations. Among other fall protection standards, you would need to comply with 29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment which includes 1910.132 General requirements and 1910.140 Personal fall protection systems. OSHA standards are free to read and access.

For OSHA news and updates, sign up for OSHA's free online newsletter. In the newsletter, OSHA sends updates on enforcement cases, partnerships, grants, events, guidance, and standard updates.

ANSI

ANSI, or the American National Standards Institute, is an organization that manages the United States voluntary standards and conformity assessment system. ANSI collaborates closely with contributors from different industries and governments to create consensus standards that establish the best way to do something.

For example, if you wanted to know the best way to keep your workers safe when using fall protection, you would want to check out the ANSI/ASSP Z359 fall protection and fall restraint standards. These standards discuss best practices for fall protection, such as training, fall protection equipment, and rescue. Be aware that most of ANSI's standards cost money.

ASSP

ASSP, or the American Society of Safety Professionals, is an association that supports occupational safety and health professionals to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. ASSP offers education, advocacy, standards development, and a professional community to members to advance their careers and the safety and health profession.

It costs money to become a member of ASSP, but there are many benefits to joining this organization. The benefits include a monthly safety and health magazine, professional development conferences, leadership conferences, discounts on consensus standards like the ANSI/ASSP Z359 discussed previously, webinars, technical meetings, and community chapters where you can network with local health and safety professionals.

NSC

NSC, or the National Safety Council, is an organization similar to ASSP that provides safety and health resources, research, and training. Just like ASSP, it costs money to become a member and join NSC.

ASSP and NSC are both organizations you will reap the benefits of if you use your membership to the fullest extent. From networking with other health and safety professionals to learning best practices from webinars and technical meetings, joining one or both organizations will allow you to learn about health and safety and connect with others in your profession.

Final Thoughts

OSHA, ANSI, ASSP, and NSC work together to provide standards, expectations, and best practices to help you manage the health and safety of employees in your workplace. It's crucial to understand and comply with the requirements found in OSHA Standards and the best practices found in ANSI Standards. In addition, becoming involved in ASSP and NSC will provide opportunities for you to grow as an effective and successful leader, safety professional, or person in charge of your company's safety and health program.

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