ASSE PERSPECTIVES

The American Society of Safety Engineers supports new regulatory measures from OSHA that affect workplace audits, provided they promote increased implementation of self-audit or third-party audit programs, Self-audits not only reduce workplace hazards and eliminate the potential for willful, repeat violators, they reduce costs associated with workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities as well. However, ASSE believes the proposed policy will do little to foster greater use of self-audits and may actually deter employers from putting in writing their self-critical analyses or hiring third-party consultants to perform this function.