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Safety Compliance Starter Checker

Answer 10 high-level questions. We’ll show safety topics your company may need to review and link you directly to primary regulatory sources.

Before you start

This is a screening tool, not a compliance determination. “Unsure” is useful—those are often the topics that deserve a closer look.

1. Do employees use or may be exposed to hazardous chemicals?

Examples: fuels, cleaners, solvents, coatings, process chemicals or other products with hazardous-chemical SDSs.

2. Do employees service or maintain machines where unexpected startup or stored energy could injure them?

Consider electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, gravity, thermal and other hazardous energy.

3. Are employees required by the employer or a standard to wear respirators?

Do not count purely voluntary filtering-facepiece use here.

4. Do employees operate forklifts or other powered industrial trucks covered by OSHA rules?

Examples can include many sit-down, stand-up, reach and powered industrial trucks.

5. Could employee noise exposure reach or exceed an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA?

If you are unsure, exposure evaluation/monitoring may be part of the next step.

6. Do any employees have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials?

Think beyond healthcare: first-response duties and assigned tasks can matter.

7. Do employees enter permit-required confined spaces or spaces that may meet permit-space criteria?

Examples can include tanks, pits, vessels, vaults and other spaces meeting the regulatory definition.

8. Are employees exposed to covered fall hazards or required to use personal fall protection?

Construction and general-industry requirements differ; answer yes if fall hazards are a meaningful part of the work.

9. Does your operation have an OSHA requirement that triggers an emergency action plan?

An EAP is required when another OSHA standard requires one; many employers also maintain one as a best practice.

10. Do employees operate commercial motor vehicles that may be subject to FMCSA driver-qualification rules?

Interstate commerce, vehicle thresholds, passenger operations and hazmat can affect applicability.