We talk a lot about American-based safety around here. But the truth is, for multinational companies, your safety concerns aren’t just stateside. You have to think about safety requirements everywhere you have offices, whether it’s an entire country or even a province within a country.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has been around for what seems like forever, protecting workers’ rights to a safe and accident-free workplace.

When COVID-19 made its appearance last year, no other organization was looked to for guidance and direction more than the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). During the pandemic, OSHA still managed to conduct 21,674 workplace inspections[1] which resulted in levying $4,034,288[2] in penalties against companies just for COVID-related violations.

If you’re involved in the running of any sort of business, you likely know all about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This regulatory agency is responsible for making sure that federal health and safety laws are followed at all times in order to protect the rights of employees everywhere to have access to a safe work environment; if OSHA finds out you’ve been violating one of the many federal laws put on the books to protect those workers, it’s got the authority to come down on you hard in the form of penalties and fees.

If you thought OSHA was the only agency related to workplace safety, think again. The National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) also plays a role by researching workplace injuries and illnesses and making recommendations.

Among the many safety goals that companies in all industries should have, compliance is usually at the top of the list. If you can remain compliant with OSHA standards and other regulations, you’re probably ahead of the game in terms of keeping employees protected.

Even as we start to get a better handle on the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that our lives, including the modern workplace, will never be the same. We may never be able to totally rid ourselves of the virus, and so we must remain vigilant against the potential spread of the disease. Fortunately, OSHA publication 3990 has outlined what employers need to do to keep employees protected from COVID-19. While company leaders should read through the entire document, here are the key takeaways from OSHA publication 3990.

Under federal OSHA laws, workers have certain rights and protections. One of the most basic is the right to a safe workplace, and the right to speak up about hazards without fear of retaliation.

How do you avoid workplace injuries? There are plenty of strategies, but one of the simplest is to learn from the mistakes of others. The good news is that there’s an annual top ten list of the most common workplace injuries OSHA sees every year, hand-in-hand with OSHA’s most frequently cited violations.

For most companies, the path to identifying and mitigating workplace hazards usually begins with a workplace inspection. How else can you find out all of the potential hazards that must be addressed? Of course, every workplace inspection must be conducted in an efficient manner to ensure that everything has been sufficiently identified. If you cut corners or do something the wrong way, you’ll be doing your company and your employees a disservice.