Craft brewers, we know your employees are like family and that you want them to go home safe at the end of every shift. But maybe you need safety and health assistance with the chemicals used during the brewing process, with confined spaces in the brewing area, or with machinery used during daily operations at the brewery? The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (DLS) can help with those and any other hazards. DLS offers free safety and health consultations for small and medium sized businesses to recognize and control potential safety and health hazards. This service is provided by the Massachusetts On-Site Consultation Program.
Consultations are at no cost and are confidential. You, the employer, determines the scope of the consultation services you want to use, which can range from answering a specific safety or health question to providing a complete wall to wall worksite safety and health survey. We can even provide air sampling and noise monitoring also at no cost.
All the services provided by the On-Site Consultation Program are free, confidential, voluntary, and completely separate from OSHA enforcement. How it works:
1) An employer requests assistance from the On-Site Consultation Program by calling (508) 616-0461 (Option 2) or emailing MA-OSHAConsultation@mass.gov.
2) A Consultant from DLS will work with the employer to answer questions and schedule an on-site visit. During on-site visits the Consultant will review any required safety and health programs and identify any hazards in the workplace.
3) The Consultant and the employer will come up with a timeline for the employer to correct any serious and imminent hazards identified during the visit. Any identified serious and imminent hazards are required to be abated. While actively working with the On-Site Consultation Program, employers are granted a deferral from OSHA-programmed enforcement inspections.
Annually, On-Site Consultation Programs across the U.S. conduct more than 20,000 visits at worksites nationwide. Every year, more than two million workers are removed from hazards after employers take corrective actions identified during consultation visits. Shouldn’t your brewery be one of those worksites?
Participating in the consultation program can result in enhanced worker morale, and reduce injury/illness rates, lost workdays, workers’ compensation costs, equipment damage, and product losses. Read Benefits of the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program, An Economic Analysis (August 1, 2018) for more information.
"We've participated in MA DLS's Consultation Program two times with exceptional results. As our brewery has grown and processes have changed, we've found it necessary to revisit and regularly update safety protocols. During both consultations, Justin helped us identify workplace hazards and develop a robust set of OSHA-approved training programs to address and ensure employee safety. He also put us in touch with Deborah, a hygiene specialist, to review chemical use and best practices for maintaining employee health. Even after the consultations, Justin has remained a helpful resource for one-off safety questions and to provide advice on special scenarios. We're so grateful to Justin, Deborah, and the entire Consultation Program for their attention to detail and collaborative approach. We encourage companies from all industries to take advantage of this incredible resource."
Jack Hunsicker, CEO, Lamplighter Brewing Company
For more information go to www.mass.gov/on-site-consultation-program or read the Consultation brochure.
