The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has launched its Safety Champions Program to assist employers in developing and implementing effective safety and health programs within the workplace.

“The main goal of safety and health programs is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths,” OSHA states. 

“The program incorporates the seven core elements of Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs.”

These are:

• Worker participation
• Hazard identification and assessment
• Hazard prevention and control
• Education and training
• Program evaluation and improvement
• Communication and coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies.

The Safety Champion Program has three steps - introductory, intermediate and advanced - which are self-guided, allowing participants to work at their own pace. 

Safety Champion participants can also request a Safety Champion Special Government Employee (SGE) to assess their safety and health program and step progress at any time.