Assessing injury and illness prevention programs

Are injury and illness prevention programs too complicated and expensive for small businesses?

An internal OSHA study of nine SHARP (OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) firms, ranging in size from 15 to 160 employees, found that the firms achieved the following as a result of their programs:

• A reduction in the number of injuries and illnesses.
• Improved compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Improved business and cost savings including reduced workers’ compensation premiums; reduced administrative and human resources burden associated with filing injury and illness reports; managing workers’ compensation cases and training new employees; improved efficiency in operations and material use; and improved productivity.
• An improved workplace environment with greater collective responsibility for workplace health
  and safety.
• Improved reputation and image in the community.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov.