What Free Onsite Consultation Services Does OSHA Provide?

How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations

What is a Workplace Emergency?

The OSHA Consultation Service offers free onsite safety and health consultation services to help employers establish and maintain safe and healthful workplaces. The service is funded largely by OSHA and is delivered by professional safety and health consultants within state governments. Developed primarily for smaller employers with more hazardous operations, the service includes an appraisal of all mechanical systems, physical work practices, environmental workplace hazards, and all aspects of the employer's job safety and health program.

The onsite consultation program is separate from OSHA's inspection efforts. No penalties are proposed or citations issued for safety or health problems identified by an OSHA consultant. The service is confidential. The employer's and firm's name, and any information about the workplace, including any unsafe or unhealthful working conditions the consultant identifies, are not reported routinely to the OSHA inspection staff. The employer, however, is obligated to correct any serious job safety and health hazards identified in a timely manner, and commits to do so when requesting the service.

For more information, see Appendix 3 for a list of contact telephone numbers.