Concise Guide to Workplace Safety and Health

Book excerpt: Every organization must comply with occupational health and safety regulations. Yet it is frequently unclear which actually apply in a given real-life situation, plus the field is loaded with technical terminology and complicated regulations. Many managers, trainers, even safety and health professionals therefore find it hard to know how to comply, with exactly what. Written to make this important discipline more understandable, Concise Guide to Workplace Safety and Health: What You Need to Know, When You Need It systematically addresses, for each of the 34 topics covered, core issues such as relevant regulations, required program elements, and definitions of key terms. Organized for quick access to information, this handy reference book demystifies required documentation, training elements, medical requirements, recordkeeping, and more. Conveniently, the author uses the same 20-part format for every topic. For example, if you want to know only about the documentation required, you can immediately turn to a topic’s Section 9 (Written Documentation Required). If training requirements are the issue, simply go to a chapter’s Section 12 (Training Requirements). Also provided for each topic are links to quality background and training information, with sample forms and programs where available. The guide covers safety and health topics of interest to a wide cross section of industries and businesses. The author’s relaxed, yet focused approach and consistent format allow efficient access to a broad range of occupational health and safety information. The topics covered include not only those that are currently regulated, but also emerging issues such as injury and illness prevention programs, and the rapidly growing field of nanotechnology.