OSHA CONSULTATION PROGRAM

PENNSYLVANIA OSHA CONSULTATION PROGRAM

	What is the OSHA Consultation Program?

What is the Program? Employer Benefits & Services Employer Obligations The Consultation Process The Consultants Recognition/Exemption Programs Testimonials Frequently Asked Questions Submit A Request	Pennsylvania employers who want help in recognizing and correcting safety and health hazards and in improving their safety and health programs can get it from a free consultation service largely funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an agency of the United States Department of Labor. The service is provided through the PA/OSHA Consultation Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

	The program addresses immediate problems and also offers professional advice and help in maintaining continued, effective worker protection. Besides helping employers to identify and correct specific hazards, consultants provide guidance in establishing or improving an effective safety and health program and offer training and education for the employer, the employer's supervisors, and employees.

	The service is given primarily at the work site, but limited services may be provided away from the employer's work site.

	Primarily targeted for smaller businesses in higher-hazard industries or with especially hazardous operation, the safety and health consultation program is completely separate from OSHA's inspection effort. No citations are issued, nor are penalties proposed.

	The employer's name, firm, information about the workplace, and any unsafe or unhealthful work conditions that the consultant determines normally will not be reported to the OSHA enforcement staff. Employers who request on-site Consultation services must make a commitment, prior to the consultant's visit, to correct all identified "imminent danger" and "serious" job safety and health hazards in a timely manner and with the help of the consultant.

	Consultation is a cooperative approach to solving safety and health problems in the workplace. Since it is voluntary activity, it is neither automatic nor unexpected. The employer must request it.
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