As a company owner or a manager, have you ever heard someone reassure you, “Don’t worry! We have all that safety stuff covered!”? There are, at least, 13,653 reasons why enlisting the help of Safety Consultants to verify that claim may prove to be a good idea!  That is the maximum fine per violation which OSHA will levy for a serious violation, not including your costs for investigating the citation(s), responding to the violation notice, production downtime costs, making corrective actions and other intangible costs if the violation involved a serious injury or death of an employee. Repeat or willful violations will cost up to $136,532 (Click here for 2021 OSHA Civil penalties). But, for brevity, let’s start with five excellent reasons why Safety Consultants can make a difference: 

1. “My Main Challenge Today is Hiring Competent Workers” 

Most businesses cannot easily find skilled people as all industries attempt to recover from the recent pandemic. Even with experienced EHS personnel, did you know: 

• For manufacturing companies, there are 45 OSHA regulations for General Industry, with most requiring written programs and training. That is a lot of ground for even the most skilled EHS person to effectively cover without the assistance available from a team of expert Safety Consultants. They can best track the ever-changing regulations to keep your company current, properly trained, and compliant. 
• With that many regulations applying to your business, can any individual be an “expert in everything”? Even fully staffed EHS departments in large companies occasionally must call a Safety Consultant for their specialized expertise, as you would a doctor when a health issue arises.  Have the names of good Safety Consultant readily available for those occasions.  
• As evidenced last year, companies needed to quickly “pivot” in the products and services they offered. This required an abundance of process and rule changes, making your EHS staff jump through hoops trying to keep employees safe from infection and new hazards. Did your safety procedures and training stay current and compliant with quickly changing work regulations or would timely advice from  Safety Consultants have been helpful?

2. “Sure, Safety is Important, But We Just Don’t Have Time to Focus on it Now”

Especially during an economic recovery, “Production is King” which forces companies to focus on investment in people and new machines first, and those EHS programs can come later.  Some companies convince themselves that, “We already have a competent EHS staff and all the internal Safety Consultants we need.” Are you sure? Off-loading that burden in total or in part to a qualified Safety Consultant can be a huge time saver. 

3. “OSHA Terminology is Often Confusing and Overwhelming”

You want your workers to always be safe and your operation to remain compliant with OSHA regulations, but how can you do that when the agency has their own “language” with unfamiliar acronyms, confusing definitions, and vague guidelines? Intentionally, the “what needs done” is always stated by OSHA but the “how to do it” remains open for interpretation. A competent Safety Consultant can be that “translator” to clarify what needs done and how best to achieve it. 

4. “Not Sure Why My Employees Never Listen Closely to Safety Training”

A skilled Safety Consultant arrives on-site with a reputation as the “expert on the topic”. Even if the external Safety Consultant conveys the same message as the internal EHS trainer, their safety training seems to be accepted and remembered better because “you guys really know what you are talking about.” Maybe it’s just some Safety Consultant magic! 

5. “My Staff and I Are Working Long Hours and Even Losing Sleep Over Safety Concerns”

Can overworking your plant supervisors, your EHS staff and, yes, yourself lead to health issues and lower productivity? The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) found that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared to those working 35-40 hours a week. That’s a 29% increase from 2016 levels. This makes “Occupational Health & Safety” very personal, doesn’t it? By entrusting your peace of mind to Safety Consultants, you will be better assured that your safety concerns are being properly addressed. 

Put CTI’s team of Safety Consultants to work for you so you can focus on the products and services you do best!