Final answer:
Safety officers ensure that safety measures are maintained in the workplace. This includes safety meetings, training, inspections, and the provision of personal protective equipment. They must also keep records, notify OSHA of incidents, and inform employees of hazards.
Step-by-step explanation:
A company's safety officer is responsible for implementing and maintaining safety measures to protect employees from workplace hazards. The key responsibilities include regularly scheduled safety meetings, conducting safety training for employees, and safety inspections of equipment and facilities. In line with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), these measures are aimed at creating a workplace that is free from serious hazards and where safety and health problems are effectively managed.
Additional tasks that safety officers handle encompass:
- Ensuring that the OSHA safety poster is displayed at each job site.
- Keeping accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
- Conducting workplace tests such as air sampling if required by OSHA standards.
- Providing necessary personal protective equipment at no cost to employees.
- Posting OSHA citations and injury and illness summary data where visible to all workers.
- Notifying OSHA in case of workplace fatalities or severe injuries within the prescribed time frame.
Employers also have the duty to inform workers of potential risks in a language and format they can comprehend and to initially attempt to mitigate hazards through changes in working conditions before relying on personal protective equipment.