The Osha Field Operations Manual, Research Paper Example

The OSHA Field Operations Manual, or FOM (formerly known as the Field Inspection Reference Manual) is developed for OSHA Compliance Officers. It is the responsibility of Compliance Officers to schedule and conduct inspectionsof workplaces, to enforce regulations, and to work with organizations to ensure that they maintain ongoing focus on workplace-safety issues (relaibleplant.com). OSHA has established a number of programs related to workplace safety that can help organizations establish and maintain compliance with OSHA regulations, such as the On-site Consolation, Strategic Partnership, and Voluntary Protection Program. The FOM provides Compliance Officers with the information and resources needed to carry out their duties and to coordinate the supplemental programs and partnerships that can further help organizations meet their responsibilities where workplace safety is concerned (osha.gov).

Although the FOM is issued specifically for use by Compliance Officers, the information contained therein is readily available to the public. Most organizations will have someone within their management team that is assigned the responsibility of ensuring that OSHA standards related to workplace safety are properly implemented. In many cases the HR department will assume some or all of these responsibilities, though this can vary depending on the size and type of the organization. Additionally, organizations may be required to provide appropriate records or paperwork during safety and compliance inspections, and the responsibility for doing so may fall to the same individual or team responsible for safety-regulation compliance.

Because the FOM contains all the information needed for Compliance Officers to appropriate carry out their duties, the same information can be useful to organizations. By utilizing the FOM, organizations can have a clearer picture of the expectations placed on Compliance Officers, and this information can help organizations ensure that they are appropriately prepared for inspections and are meeting their responsibilities with regard to OSHA regulations.

References

osha.gov,. ‘OSHA Field Operations Manual’. N.p., 2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.

Reliableplant.com,. ‘New OSHA Field Operations Manual Enhances Compliance’. N.p., 2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.