SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDE

Guides and Courses

Guides and Handbooks

OSHA Small Business Handbook

A downloadable guide to managing safety and health in a small business. It includes the four elements of a safety and health program:

Management commitment and employee involvement
Worksite analysis
Hazard prevention and control
Training

Provided by federal OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Accident Prevention Program Guide

A downloadable resource for small businesses, which includes checklists and covers eight main topics:

Management
Record keeping
Safety analysis
Accident prevention

Accident reporting and investigating
Training
Safety inspection
Program review

Provided by the Texas Department of Insurance. Most information is applicable in other states.

An Introduction to Health and Safety

A downloadable booklet about the common causes of workplace injuries and illnesses with quizzes at the end. Contains specific United Kingdom regulations, but much of the information is generally applicable. Topics include:

Health and safety management
Slips, trips and falls
Asbestos
Hazardous substances
Falls from a height
Musculoskeletal disorders
Display screen equipment
Noise
Vibration

Electricity
Work equipment and machinery
Maintenance and building work
Workplace transport
Pressure systems
Fire and explosion
Radiation
Stress
First aid and accident reporting

Provided by the Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom. Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0.

How to Develop a Simple, Cost-Effective Safety & Health Program

Information on how to develop a simple, cost effective safety and health program for small businesses. Includes seven simple steps to effective safety and health programs and additional links.

Provided by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Small Business Committee.

Small Business Safety and Health Manual & Companion CD

This publication explains:

How to set up a safety and health program
Laws governing small-businesses
The ways in which safety increases productivity and employee well-being

The companion CD contains printable checklists and inspection report forms.

Provided for purchase by the National Safety Council.

Fast fact: Several studies show occupational injury and illness rates are highest among organizations that are the smallest.

Source: Page K. Blood on the Coal: The Effect of Organizational Size and Differentation on Coal Mine Accidents. Journal of Safety and Research 2009: 85-95.

Training Materials and Toolkits

Safety and Health Management - The Basics

An interactive training guide for business owner and operators with spaces to enter information and analyze their business. It includes seven units:

Management commitment
Accountability
Employee involvement
Hazard identification and control
Incident analysis
Training
Program evaluation

Provided by Oregon OSHA. The workbook contains information for Oregon businesses, but most of the information is applicable in other states.

Safety and Health Management Systems for Small Businesses

This free course on building an effective workplace safety and health management system features:

Information on safety and health management systems
Regulatory requirements
Interactive audio, graphical and video enhancement
Certification tools and resources

Provided by North Carolina State University.

Small Business Safety Training Guide

A downloadable guide that provides information for small businesses in many industries. Guide sections are:

A California-specific version is also available.

Provided by the California Department of Industrial Relations, Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training Program.

Workplace Health Toolkit for Small Businesses

Downloadable chapters focused on different workplace health issues. Contains regulations specific to Ireland, but much of the information is generally applicable. The toolkit contains:

Manual handling
Display screens
Noise
Pregnancy

Chemicals
Bullying
Work-related stress (includes employee questionnaire)

Includes risk assessment templates and an employee questionnaire about hazards that could lead to work-related stress.

Provided by the Safety and Health Authority of Ireland.

Fast fact: A recent poll found that corporate financial decision makers perceived an average return on investment of approximately $4.41 for every dollar spent improving workplace safety and health.

Source: Huang YH, Leamon TB, Courtney TK, DeArmond S, Chen PY, Blair M. Financial Decision-Makers’ Views on Safety. Professional Safety 2009: 36-42.