ONLINE PORTAL
LOCATIONS
EVENTS
ABOUT
CONTACT
OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week is the perfect opportunity for employers around the country to develop and implement a robust safety and health plan for their workplace. The campaign is geared toward both employers looking for a place to start, as well as employers who may already have a safety and health plan but want to gather resources and ideas on how to make their programs even better.
Visit OSHA’s website for more information: https://www.osha.gov/safeandsound
In 2023, employers in Virginia reported 72,600 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. That is nearly 200 incidents every single day. The table below demonstrates how work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities have affected the commonwealth as of 2023*:
*Data provided by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics and OSHA Information Systems. For questions, please contact the Department of Labor and Industry Office of Research and Analysis
These preventable work-related injuries and illnesses can be costly to businesses and employees. The National Safety Council estimates that work injury costs totaled $176.5 billion for employers nationally in 2023. This, of course, does not account for the emotional toll these losses create; however, it provides an important starting point for employers to begin to understand just how much a health and safety plan can help them save.
You can visit the National Safety Council’s website to learn more about how much work-related injuries and illnesses are costing your organization: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs/
Diagram: Economic Effects of the VOSH Compliance Programs, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
Whether you would like resources to improve your safety and health program or help learning where to begin, OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week in combination with the resources we have available to you at the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) will provide great opportunities for Virginia’s employers to create a culture of safety and prevent work related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
How to Develop a Safety and Health Plan
If you would like to follow along with OSHA’s Safe + Sound week program, you can download their interactive worksheets at the link below:
https://www.osha.gov/safeandsound/safety-and-health-programs
These worksheets help provide a framework for beginning your journey to creating a strong safety and health program by giving you a step-by-step guide with action items for your team. The worksheets cover the following topics:
- Build your case for a safety and health program
- Write a safety and health policy
- Share your safety and health policy
- Define program goals
- Commit to reaching your program goals
- Define the resources you need
- Allocate Resources
- Assign roles and responsibilities for achieving program goals
Another important tool for creating a culture of safety and health is communication. For discussion topics related to safety and health, please visit our website to find important resources for starting conversations in your workplace regarding health and safety hazards:
https://doli.virginia.gov/safety-health-hazard-topics/
Benefits of Creating a Strong Safety and Health Plan
Developing a strategic and effective safety and health plan has a multitude of positive outcomes for your workplace:
Investing in a safe workplace is a team effort. The best way to ensure that a safety and health plan is successful is to incorporate participation at the management and worker level. Creating a strong safety and health plan can strengthen your workplace culture and encourage communication and teamwork.
Resources and Next Steps
At DOLI we have a variety of resources to help you with your journey to a safe and healthy work environment.
DOLI provides free Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Consultation services to help small Virginia employers with less than 250 employees better understand and voluntarily comply with the VOSH standards. Our experienced consultants provide customized occupational safety and health training based on your business needs. This training can be formal or informal, and delivered right at your site. Visit our website for more information:
https://doli.virginia.gov/consultation_services/
The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) provides employers with the opportunity to collaborate with us to create a program that meets health and safety criteria compliant with VOSH standards. There are several branches within VPP which offer recognition for companies meeting and exceeding the VOSH standards as well as process programs that give employers a detailed guide as to how to create and maintain a strong safety and health plan. Visit our website for more information:
https://doli.virginia.gov/voluntary-protection-program/
What if?: 
What if you could go your whole career injury free? DOLI’s ‘What IF?’ campaign aims to demonstrate that an injury free workplace is possible through a cultural shift and developing a proactive attitude. By envisioning a workforce in Virginia that prevents work related injuries and illnesses before they happen, we are encouraging employers to embody that reality by implementing safety and health habits in their organizations.
https://doli.virginia.gov/what-if/
Using these resources along with OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week guides and activities will allow your team to strengthen and develop your safety and health plan. OSHA has several standalone activities for employers and workers to participate in as part of Safe + Sound Week:
https://www.osha.gov/safeandsound/activities
Tag Us!
Is your team participating in Safe + Sound Week? Be sure to print your certificate on OSHA’s website and take a picture with your team. Tag us on social media for a chance to be featured on our What If? campaign page!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Cooperative-Programs/61567020269937/
Instagram: @worksafeva
X: @worksafeva