Did you know that your business is entitled to a free consultation to identify potential hazards at your worksite, and to improve your occupational safety and health management systems, using state government professionals?

These days, when it seems most of the cash flow between small businesses and governmens goes in only one direction – to them! – you might want to get at least a modest payback in terms of an on-site consultation through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This is quite separate from the regular OSHA inspection service and having the consultation may even earn a 12-month exemption from inspection.

It’s voluntary and can cover either your entire operation or one specific issue. Most consultations focus on workplace safety only, though a sizeable minority covers health only. Only a small fraction do both. It’s also confidential. Any unsafe or unhealthful working conditions found by the consultant are not routinely reported to inspectors, though you will be asked to commit to putting them right.

There’s an all-round benefit from setting up a consultation, enabling you, according to OSHA, to:

• Recognize and remove hazards from your workplace.
• Protect your workers from injury and illness.
• Prevent loss of life at your worksite.
• Cultivate informed and alert employees who take responsibility for their own and their coworkers’ safety and for worksite safety as a whole.
• Improve employee morale.
• Comply with federal and state safety and health requirements.
• Have managers who are more effective at their jobs. Management experts believe that the company with a well-managed safety and health system enjoys better overall management.
• Increase productivity rates and assure product quality.
• Decrease workers’ compensation costs.
• Reduce lost workdays.

Since it’s voluntary, you have to request a consultation from OSHA. Contact the state OSHA office or call the organization’s national inquiry line at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742). A consultant will then discuss your specific needs by phone and arrange a visit.

The actual consultation includes a discussion with you to clarify your needs, a walk through that may involve employee participation (that’s up to you but is encouraged by OSHA), a conference on findings, a written report with recommendations and, if appropriate, training and assistance with implementation of recommendations.

Apparently, OSHA consultants carried out more than 30,000 initial visits during 2010. That suggests to me that it’s a worthwhile service.