The proposed OSHA I2P2 Standard will require companies to develop and implement a program that eliminates employee exposure to workplace safety and health hazards. The thought is, instead of waiting for an OSHA inspection or a workplace incident to address hazards, companies will be required to take a proactive approach by creating and implementing a program to identify and eliminate workplace hazards before they cause an injury or illness. We all know that if you eliminate the hazards, you eliminate potential injuries and illnesses.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, stated “We are only asking companies to ‘find and fix’ the hazards in their workplaces. This common sense rule will help make the secretary of labor’s vision of ‘Good Jobs for Everyone’ a reality.”

OSHA is continuing to seek comments and input on the proposed I2P2 Standard, but, has stated that the standard would most likely include the following elements:

  • Management duties will include developing a facility specific written program, setting goals, planning and allocating resources, assigning and communicating roles and responsibilities, enforcing the requirements of the program, and evaluating the program for effectiveness.
  • Employee participation will include involvement in the development of the program, maintaining and evaluating the program, and participating in incident investigations.
  • Hazard identification and assessment will include information gathering, workplace inspections, incident investigations, and identifying changes in workplace and procedures.
  • Hazard prevention and control will include prioritizing the identified hazards, developing and implementing control measures, and evaluating the effectiveness of the controls.
  • Education and training will include communicating existing hazards and the means to eliminate or protect against them, and ensuring that all other required OSHA training is being provided.
  • Program evaluation and improvement will include evaluating the effectiveness of the program, monitoring performance of affected employees, correcting program deficiencies, and improving program performance.

Although, up to this point, there has been no specific OSHA Standard requiring companies to develop a formal injury and illness prevention program, Total Environmental & Safety, LLC’s associates have been assisting companies with workplace injury and illness prevention for many years, with great success. Our associates can evaluate your facility, identify workplace hazards, recommend and implement corrective actions, and develop a written injury and illness prevention program.