Federal OSHA as well as the South Carolina and North Carolina labor departments have designated June 12-18, 2017, as the inaugural Safe + Sound Week. The purpose of this nationwide initiative is to raise awareness and understanding of the value of workplace safety and health programs by encouraging employers to plan activities that include the core elements of a successful safety program.

According to OSHA, successful programs have three core elements:

1. Management Leadership

2. Worker Participation

3. Find and Fix Hazards

Organizations of any size and industry can participate in this initiative by selecting an activity and subsequently planning and promoting an event in order to establish their commitment to occupational safety and health.  Information regarding each core element, ideas for events, resources, and information on how to participate are available at OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week and OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Program web pages.

This Safe + Sound initiative may signal a more cooperative approach to OSHA compliance from the new administration.