Every company with employees needs an Injury & Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP). It’s one of OSHA’s requirements, and there can be steep fines for your business if you’re caught operating without one. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to get an IIPP put together for your small business in Orange County if you don’t already have one.
Most small business owners are smart people and could certainly do the research to figure what needs to be included in their IIPP, and then take the time to write one up. However, every small business owner we know is also very busy. They typically work more than 40 hours per week as it is and don’t need anything else added to their plates—especially things that can be easily outsourced.
Hiring a company to complete an IIPP on your company’s behalf just makes sense for most small businesses, and here’s why:
Using an IIPP Template Isn’t an Option
Anyone that tells you they purchased a cheap IIPP online and just put their company name on it and filled in a few blanks is fooling themselves. There’s no way that an OSHA inspector will look at a filled-in template and find it acceptable. An IIPP needs to be detailed and specific to each business. It needs to identify the hazards that are unique to your facility and the type of work you do, and how they will be handled. Your IIPP also needs to include information on any health- and safety-related trainings that will be offered, and it needs to specify which employees need to attend them, and how often.
A thorough IIPP also needs to include procedures for documenting certain things, such as any work-related illnesses or injuries that occur, as well as when training sessions were completed (and who attended). Maintaining records of these types of things is key, and documentation will certainly be asked for if an OSHA inspector ever shows up at your place of business—either as a result of a random inspection or because an incident occurred.
Bringing in someone who is knowledgeable about IIPPs and can put together one that will be acceptable to OSHA inspectors is highly advised!
Creating an IIPP Is Time-Consuming
As a business owner, your time is valuable. So is the time of your employees. Is it really a good use of your time to spend it researching the requirements of an IIPP and then putting together a thorough plan in writing? If you’re like many business owners, the answer is probably “no.”
At DTS, we are experts in IIPP creation. We can come to your place of business and assess your facilities, your equipment, and your business activities to determine what needs to be included in your IIPP. We will then produce a detailed IIPP that is specific to your small business. It will include all of the elements required by OSHA and Cal/OSHA and will set you up with a health and safety plan that is easy to follow and a system for documenting health- and safety-related trainings and incidents. We will leave you with a printed binder that you can reference at any time and that you can use to show OSHA inspectors that you are in compliance with their IIPP requirement.
Our prices are competitive, and we provide great service! We are even able to produce IIPPs for Orange County businesses quickly, in case you are on a tight timeline (like if you have already been cited for not having an IIPP in place). Contact us today to learn more about working with DTS for your Orange County business’ IIPP.