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

The Rhode Island Department of Health, Environmental Health Division will provide confidential occupational safety and health consultation services to small businesses in Rhode Island through September 30, 2023 under a $1,439,000 cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As part of OSHA's Consultation Agreements program (CFDA 17.504), which provides funding for consultative workplace safety and health services targeting smaller employers with more hazardous operations, the Environmental Health Division will conduct at least 90% of initial consultation visits at high hazard establishments, establishments with 250 employees or less, and those controlled by employers with 500 employees or less. The Division will also conduct 100% of visits including employee interviews and verify the timely correction of all serious and imminent hazards identified.

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 (