Think Safety First. Begin the New Year with a Safety and Health Consultation from USF SafetyFlorida

For More Information, Contact:
Charlene Sitterlyi, Program Manager
USF SafetyFlorida Consultation Program
csitterl@health.usf.edu
1-813-974-9962 or 1-866-273-1105

For Immediate Release:
December 30, 2009

Think Safety First. Begin the New Year with a Safety and Health Consultation from USF SafetyFlorida

(Tampa, Fla.)--Does your small business need a safety tune-up? USF SafetyFlorida is encouraging small business owners to examine their workplace safety management system as one of their New Year's business resolutions for 2010.

Florida's small business safety and health consultation program has 12 safety and health consultants in offices around the state, who are OSHA certified and trained in identifying hazardous workplace areas. The consultants use OSHA standards to help employers in high hazard industries--such as construction, manufacturing, landscaping and healthcare--protect their workers. And protecting workers has numerous benefits, says Charlene Vespi, USF SafetyFlorida's program manager. "Companies that undergo safety consultation report higher productivity, reduced workers' compensation costs, safer workplaces and higher morale. A safe workplace is a win-win."

Here are five reasons to request a safety and health consultation in 2010 from USF SafetyFlorida:
1. It's free.

2. It's confidential. The program's consultative services include an on-site visit; review of written safety plans; identification of potential hazards related to processes, work equipment and practices; recommendations on how to improve hazardous areas, if found; and education and training assistance.

3. It provides peace of mind. Business owners will feel good knowing their proactive measures will protect their workers and provide a safer working environment when they correct hazardous areas that could have led to OSHA citations.

4. It boosts employee morale. Employees will feel good going to work each day knowing their workplace is safer.

5. Your insurance provider will thank you. Safer workplaces can result in fewer workers' compensation claims--a goal business owners and insurance providers can agree upon.

To request a free, confidential safety and health consultation as you begin 2010, contact USF SafetyFlorida 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.
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