A Strict Workplace Safety Program is Good Business -- And it's the Law.

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that all employers with more than 10 employees have an official Safety and Health Program in place. However, some states exceed the Federal requirements. For example, Alaska, California, Hawaii and Washington require that all employers have a Safety Program, regardless of size.

Legal requirements aside, it simply makes good business sense to implement a Safety Program. Business owners are used to taking risks in connection with day-to-day business decisions. Entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers. However, taking risks with the safety and well-being of your employees is not worth the gamble.

(Following is a partial excerpt from our House Cleaning Biz 101 course on this important topic)

Safety is not just a matter of compassionate interest. Accidents cost money. For every dollar you spend on the direct cost of a worker’s injury, it can cost you much more in both direct and indirect costs. Consider what one lost workday injury could cost you in terms of:

• productive time lost by fellow employees, team leader, or you in attending to the accident victim; • • • the time and expense of replacing the injured worker, especially if the recovery time is extended;
• if equipment or vehicles are damaged in an accident, the cost of repair can be substantial;
• reduced morale among your employees, which can result in reduced efficiency; and, not the least
• increased Workers’ Compensation Insurance rates.

 To help you establish and monitor your Safety and Health Program, we have provided a recommended blueprint specifically for the house cleaning business. Using it can actually help you control costs, because in implementing the program you can identify what needs to be done to promote the safety and health of your employees.

Safety Meetings:

If your business meets the criterion which require you to have an official Safety and Health Program in place (usually required only if you have 11 or more employees, or operate your business in Alaska, California, Hawaii or Washington), you will generally be required to also have an official Safety and Health Committee. This Committee will usually be required to meet at least quarterly to discuss prescribed safety issues. If your business qualifies, be sure to keep minutes of these meetings as evidence of your compliance. (Contact your local OSHA office to determine the regulations in your state.)

The safety and well-being of your employees is an issue that should not be put into place only because of Federal or State regulations. Regardless of the law in your state, implementing a Safety and Illness Prevention Program is a duty you must take on as a responsible and caring employer. Safety issues should be incorporated into regular staff meetings; we suggest at least once each month.

Safety Meeting Topics:

To begin with, initial and frequent review and discussion of the Company Safety Program handbook provides a great deal of material. While it’s important that each employee receive his or her own personal written copy of the handbook, that isn’t sufficient to satisfy OSHA’s requirements. It should be reviewed both during each employee’s initial training, as well as in group sessions with all employees present.

 In addition to the itemized safety checklist on the New Employee Safety Orientation Form in the Company Safety Program handbook, you can expand on each of these issues, as well as introduce additional safety topics practices. Topics which can and should be covered in Safety Meetings include, but are not limited to:

The responsibility of management with respect to implementing and enforcing safe practices and injury prevention policies;

•  The responsibility of each employee to follow the company’s safety and injury prevention program;
• Reporting all unsafe conditions or practices noted by any employee;
• Reporting of “near miss” accidents;
• Reporting all injuries or apparent illnesses immediately, no matter how small;
• Planning on how to respond in the event of an injury occurring to someone on the team;
• Discussion on the contents and use of articles in the First-Aid kit;
• The use of the required fire extinguisher to be carried in any vehicle used for transporting employees to and from clients’ homes;
• When and how to use emergency road flares;
• Safe driving practices, such as: designating someone other than the driver to read maps, instructions and street signs; wet weather and winter driving hazards; speeding and carelessness; and, defensive driving practices;
• Avoiding slips and falls, both inside and outside the home (including icy walkways and steps in the winter);
• Tripping hazards, such as vacuum cleaners on stairways, or left where they present potential tripping hazards;
• Footwear to avoid and footwear to wear;
• Safe bending and lifting practices; Personal hygiene, when to wear protective gloves;
• Safe personal conduct with respect to running, horseplay, and on-the-job use of alcohol or drugs;
• Avoidance of electrical shock from frayed cords or electrical wires; prohibitions against using the vacuum cleaner or other electrical apparatus on wet surfaces (or outdoors when raining);
• The use of ONLY vacuums cleaners and other electrical appliances which are grounded or double-insulated;
• The potential dangers in the use of bleach (chlorine) and ammonia: prohibited use;
• Review and understanding of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets);
• Reaching high places to clean: ONLY OSHA-approved ladders in first-class condition to be used, if ladders are permitted to be used at all (Class 1 - industrial wooden or fiberglass, not metal, and having non-skid feet);
• No leaning out of high windows or over balconies or banisters;
• Incident and accident investigation policies, procedures and paperwork.