Safety and Health Programs
Introduction
Safety and health programs are crucial elements for the attainment of successful business operations. Generally, injuries and illnesses among the significant challenges encountered by workers within an organization. Therefore, it is proper for the management teams of various organizations to determine and respond to potential dangers within the workplace. Safety and health programs denote certain strategies of action formulated to prevent accidents within workplaces that could lead to injuries and diseases. Governments across the globe have established multiple strategies to ensure the safety of their employed citizens across different industries. However, a single safety and health plan can not transcend across workplaces following the diversity in organizations. The needs and elements of various organizations and businesses are essential in the formulation of safety and health plans. The forthcoming paper will comprehensively discuss the commonalities and differences between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Basic Concept Intended by the Entities
OSHA and NIOSH are entities of the United States government charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety and health standards with workplaces. The basic concept intended by the entities is to prevent and reduce the prevalence of occupational injuries and diseases among workers within the United States.
Commonalities between the Entities
OSHA and NIOSH are among the essential government agencies concern with the safety and health of workers and their corresponding workplaces. Both institutions were established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Psychology, 2020). Following work-related injuries and diseases, Congress enacted the abovementioned Act. The Act’s primary goal was to ensure that employers provided ideal working conditions for their employees free of potential hazards, including but not limited to excessive noises, poor hygiene, stress, and toxic chemicals. Both NIOSH and OSHA offer essential education programs necessary for ensuring safety and health standards for workers within various organizations (Psychology, 2020). For instance, NIOSH sponsors more than sixteen Education and Research Centers, offering safety and health training programs to professionals and researchers (NIOSH, 2018). NIOSH facilitates more than 35 Training Projects Grants to promote the dissemination of knowledge and skills necessary for workplace safety and health.
Besides, NIOSH ensures workplace wellbeing by providing essential educational information through its website. Similarly, in terms of education, OSHA facilitates numerous training programs to boost workplace safety and health professionals’ competence (OSHA, 2018). The training is focused on educating the employees and employers on measures to prevent and reduce possible dangers within their workplaces. Moreover, OSHA offers safety and health education services through different sources, including its web page and publications (OSHA, 2018). Based on the above insights, it is possible to conclude that both governmental agencies deploy educational services to achieve their primary goal of safe and healthy workplaces. Both agencies embrace partnerships and collaborations to ensure the attainment of their missions. For example, NIOSH teamed with about 500 organizations to form the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) that identified different potential dangers to safety and health within workplaces (Psychology, 2020). Similarly, OSHA collaborates with states that embrace occupational safety and health strategies (Psychology, 2020). The collaborations provide platforms for consultations and benchmarks necessary for the development of local workplace safety and health programs.
Besides education, the agencies carry out various research programs to establish the multiple dangers encountered in the workplace. Following the determination of hazards, OSHA, and NIOSH formulate measures to prevent such risks within the workplace. The two agencies develop standards and regulations necessary to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Typically, NIOSH was established to recommend ideal safety measures to be enforced by OSHA. However, in recent years both agencies are concern with the establishment of safety and health standard. Further, divisions under the agencies have played a vital role in the attainment of their primary goal. For instance, safety and health research in NIOSH is conducted under a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, occupational medicine, chemistry, and epidemiology (NIOSH, 2018). Likewise, OSHA operated under different directorates handling specific issues (OSHA, 2018).
Differences between the Entities
Despite the common establishment of OSHA and NIOSH, there are differences between the organizations. First, OSHA and NIOSH are agencies of two separate governmental divisions. OSHA is a regulatory entity within the United States Department of Labor headquartered in Washington, D.C (OSHA, 2018). Conversely, NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the United States Department of Health and Human Services (NIOSH, 2018). The difference in government location explains the diversity and specificity in the roles played by the agencies.
Second, OSHA and NIOSH differ in their mandated responsibilities according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. According to the Act, OSHA was established to formulate and enforce workplace safety and health protection (OSHA, 2018). The Act permitted OSHA to create safety rules and standards to be followed by various employers in the United States. The entity ensures employers adhere to safety and health standards. Further, the American Constitution permits OSHA to fine and convict violators of the workplace wellbeing standards and regulations.
On the contrary, NIOSH is not an enforcement entity but rather a research and education organization (NIOSH, 2018). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 charged NIOSH with the responsibility of researching and training workplace professionals regarding safety and health standards. The entity researches to determine potential dangers within the workplace, leading to injuries and illnesses. Further, the agency offers recommendations for implementation and enforcement by OSHA.
Third, OSHA and NIOSH differ in some of their provision and regulations about occupational safety and health conditions. For instance, the two government agencies differ on the safety standards set for environmental noise pollution. OSHA claims that two hours of exposure noise at 100dB is less likely to cause hearing loss and other ear complications. Contrary, NIOSH suggests only fifteen minutes as the safe exposure time to noise at 100Db. The abovementioned example is proof enough that the two entities differ in their safety and health program recommendations.
Approaches Common to Other Entities
Identification of potential risks within a workplace is the primary approach applied by various safety and health assurance organizations. NIOSH and OSHA determine issues that would lead to occupational injuries and illnesses through research initiatives and programs. Besides, safety organizations establish standards and regulations necessary for preventing and reducing occupational injuries and diseases. The recommended rules and regulations are to be followed and implemented by employers in different industries.
Conclusion
Overall, the United States government has established various entities to ensure workers’ safety and health within their corresponding workplaces. Among the entities are OSHA and NIOSH established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The entities mentioned above have several common and diverse features essential for their intended purpose. Ensuring workplace safety is vital for successful operations and workers’ wellbeing. Therefore, possible to recommend safety and health programs within workplaces for productivity.