If you managed to take a look at our list of our Top 5 most popular blog posts from 2011, you might have noticed that I2P2 is kind of a big deal. If, on the other hand, that acronym means nothing to you, now is a good time to get better acquainted with OSHA’s propose Injury and Illness Prevention Program (get it? Two Is, two Ps…)
Anyway, OSHA has kicked off the New Year by reaffirming its commitment to I2P2 by releasing a white paper geared to convince businesses of the value of the program. For background, OSHA has been moving towards a requirement that would require most organizations in the U.S. to implement an injury and illness prevention program, which is essentially a safety management system (SMS) designed to proactively reduce injuries and illnesses.
In addition to outlining how I2P2 programs mitigate injuries and save lives, the paper breaks down the ROI of an SMS and the impact of lost time, compensation and other factors resulting from poor health and safety performance impact a business’ bottom line. It also addresses a particularly controversial concern surrounding I2P2 requirements – the financial impact of the program on small businesses.
As the paper notes, “The key elements common to all of these programs are management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and program evaluation and improvement.”
Check out the full text of the paper here, or head over to ISHN for a great summary of the document.
