by Shane Henson — July 30, 2012—Small business owners seeking to gain a thorough understanding of occupational safety and health standards and best practices can utilize a free resource published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), The Small Business Safety and Health Resource Guide.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 70% of workplaces employ fewer than 20 people. Yet these companies, on average, suffer higher fatality rates compared to larger organizations, according to a 2006 RAND report. Worksite safety and health is often delegated to the human resources director or other staff who have additional job duties. This may create a barrier for small businesses trying to sift through technical safety and health documents to understand what information is critical for them to know, notes NIOSH.
Given the challenges faced by small businesses such as limited personnel and finances, this guide provides a starting point for addressing a broad range of occupational safety and health issues without a major investment of time or money. It contains summaries of and links to more than 50 Web sites produced by commercial, academic, and government organizations. Each resource included was reviewed for relevance, ease of use, cost, and credibility. Based on readers’ feedback and their use of the guide, NIOSH will continue to update it to keep it current, it says.
