Offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small businesses with priority given to high-hazard worksites

The North Carolina Department of Labor will provide occupational safety and health consultation services to small businesses in North Carolina through a $3.9 million cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Funded through OSHA's Consultation Agreements program (CFDA 17.504), the NC Department of Labor will use the award to deliver confidential, no-cost onsite safety and health assessments to small and high-hazard employers. Key deliverables include conducting at least 90% of initial visits at worksites with 250 employees or less, at least 90% of initial visits at small business-controlled worksites with 500 employees or less, and 100% of visits where employee interviews are conducted. The consultation visits will identify workplace hazards and provide compliance assistance and safety program development support to help employers correct any serious hazards identified in a timely manner. The award period is from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023.

Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. Activities performed consultation visits, which can be either full service or limited service in scope. Full-service visits provide a complete, safety and/or health hazard assessment of all working conditions, equipment, processes, and OSHA or state plan mandated programs. On the other hand, a limited-service visit provides a less complete safety and/or health hazard assessment providing a focused assessment of a particular work process, or OSHA or state plan mandated programs. Deliverables deliverables: 1.) conduct at least 90% of initial visits in high hazard establishments. 2.) conduct at least 90% of initial visits at establishments with 250 or less employees 3.) conduct at least 90% of initial visits at establishments controlled by an employer with 500 or less employees. 4.) conduct 100% of visits where employees were intervieiwed. 5.) verify that 100% of serious and imminent hazards identifed are corrected in a timely manner (