Free Safety Consultation Program Serves Florida's Small Businesses
In today’s economy, many Florida small businesses are seeking ways to reduce costs. Rising insurance premiums and workers’ compensation claims can quickly evaporate a business owner’s bottom line.
For More Information, Contact:
Charlene Sitterly, Program Director
USF SafetyFlorida
csitterl@health.usf.edu
1-813-974-9962
Free Safety Consultation Program Serves Florida’s Small Businesses
In today’s economy, many Florida small businesses are seeking ways to reduce costs. Rising insurance premiums and workers’ compensation claims can quickly evaporate a business owner’s bottom line. What business owners might not realize is there is a safety consultation program to assist in identifying potential workplace hazards that drive up unneeded costs. The best part—the service is free.
USF SafetyFlorida (www.safetyflorida.usf.edu) is Florida’s small business safety and health consultation program funded by OSHA and the Florida Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund. Once part of the Florida Department of Labor, the consultation program transitioned in 2000 to the University of South Florida in Tampa and is administered by the College of Public Health. The program employs 12 full-time safety and health consultants with years of experience in environmental and safety and health issues, building construction and public education. In 2008 alone, the program conducted 745 safety consultations, identifying 1,982 hazards, of which 1,555 were considered serious.
USF SafetyFlorida’s mission is to save lives by reducing workplace injuries and illnesses and to assist Florida’s small businesses profit from safety. “We are here to serve Florida’s private industry,” says Charlene Vespi, program manager of USF SafetyFlorida. “Any business in a high-risk industry with fewer than 250 employees should know about our on-site consultation program. It’s free and confidential. All an employer needs to do is request an on-site consultation. It’s really that simple.”
Businesses that have used the USF SafetyFlorida consultation program report reduced workplace injuries and illnesses, lower workers’ compensation costs and insurance premiums, higher productivity and increased employee morale. Employers also appreciate having a partner in safety. “Partnering with USF SafetyFlorida assists us with validating our own internal inspection process,” says Brian Trusky, vice president of loss prevention at Moss & Associates, a Fort Lauderdale-based commercial construction firm. “They provide another set of eyes to help us achieve our goal of providing a healthy, safe and hazard-free workplace, not only for our employees but for our trade contractors.” Moss & Associates began working with USF SafetyFlorida in 2004 and they continue to call upon the consultation program for training and support. “USF SafetyFlorida has become an integral part of how Moss & Associates implements project safety management. The consultation program enables us to monitor and upgrade our internal safety program as well as safety programs for our trade contractors. It becomes a win-win partnership for everyone involved.”
The USF SafetyFlorida consultation program does not issue citations or impose penalties or fines for violations of federal or state OSHA statutes if found. The program assesses an employer’s current safety and health management system and provides a comprehensive analysis that includes a(n):
- On-site visit
- Review of written safety plan(s) and OSHA forms
- Identification of potential hazards related to processes, work equipment and practices
- Recommendations on how to improve hazardous areas
- Education, training and assistance for employers and employees at the workplace or another worksite, if needed
- Follow-up to ensure corrections have been made
- Additional assistance as needed to ensure safety and health management is maintained
USF SafetyFlorida recommends small businesses with exemplary safety and health management systems for the SHARP award. The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program is a federal program for small businesses and sponsored by OSHA. Florida currently has 55 SHARP businesses statewide, and Governor Charlie Crist recognized the companies this year stating, “We are fortunate to have companies like yours in the Sunshine State who are committed to provide a safe place to work each and every day.”
To learn more about the USF SafetyFlorida consultation program or to request a free and confidential safety consultation, call toll-free at 1-866-273-1105 or visit www.safetyflorida.usf.edu.
About USF SafetyFlorida
USF SafetyFlorida, headquartered in Tampa and with consultants across the state, is a workplace safety consultation program for Florida’s small businesses. It is funded by OSHA and the State of Florida and operated as a service of the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. The consultation program offers free and confidential assistance statewide. To help employers profit from a safer workplace, the program identifies workplace hazards, offers solutions for safety and health problems, provides training and education, and assists in creating safety and health management plans. To learn more about the USF SafetyFlorida Consultation Program or to request a confidential consultation, visit its website at www.safetyflorida.usf.edu.
###