Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/954030
126 2018 INDUSTRY RESOURCE DIRECTORY • State Plans. OSHA has important partnerships with the 24 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands that operate their own OSHA-approved safety and health programs. State workplace safety and health programs frequently lead the way in developing innovative approaches to making America's workplaces safer and healthier. States that operate their own worker safety and health plans must provide worker protection that is "at least as effective as" the federal program. However, because their standards and other procedures may vary, businesses should become familiar with their state regulations and agencies. See OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov for a list of state plan states. • Office of Training and Education. OSHA's Office of Training and Education provides training and instruction in all facets of occupational safety and health. OSHA's Training Institute, located in Arlington Heights, IL, provides training for OSHA compliance safety and health officers as well as for the general public and safety and health staff from other Federal agencies. In addition to OSHA's Training Institute, there are 32 additional education sites located throughout the country. These OSHA education centers operate in conjunction with universities, colleges and learning centers to conduct OSHA courses for the private sector and other federal agencies, making safety and health training and education more accessible to those who need it. There are tuition fees for private sector students. For more information about OSHA's Training Institute, OSHA's education centers, or to obtain training catalogs with course schedules, write the OSHA Training Institute, 2020 South Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 or call (847) 297-4810. The information is also fully accessible on http://www.osha.gov. • OSHA's Website. OSHA has expanded and improved its website. OSHA's extensive website provides employers and employees with practical, easy-to-understand, and up-to-date guidance on regulations, compliance assistance, and learning how to identify and control hazards. Each OSHA cooperative program has individual web pages describing program elements and highlighting successes of the participants. Several pages are devoted to small business, technical links, news items, publication lists, and an inventory of compliance assistance tools, including expert advisors and eTools. eTools are "stand-alone" interactive, web-based training tools on occupational safety and health topics. Regulations, standards, directives, and interpretations relating to OSHA can be found, as well. There is a Spanish version of the OSHA website, and many posters and some publications are also available in Spanish. OSHA's web pages include MyOSHA, which allows users to create their own personalized OSHA web page with customized content and links. Quick Start is another tool on OSHA's Compliance Assistance web page that allows the user to identify many of the major OSHA requirements and guidance materials that apply to their individual workplaces or industry sectors. Through its website, OSHA invites citizens to email questions that can be routed to appropriate agency officials for response. Any communication conducted via the "Contact Us" link on the OSHA website is considered an informational exchange rather than an official communication with the Department of Labor. For an official response to a question or concern, inquiries should be submitted in writing. If you would like to receive regular updates from OSHA about new programs, tools, best practices and other useful information, subscribe to the agency's e-news memo, QuickTakes. QuickTakes is issued twice monthly to subscribers and is always available online. You can subscribe to OSHA's QuickTakes at www.osha.gov. Safety and Health Add Value. Addressing safety and health issues in the workplace saves you, the employer, money and adds value to your business. Recent estimates place the business costs associated with occupational injuries at close to $170 billion—expenditures that come straight out of company profits. When workers stay whole and healthy, the direct cost-savings to businesses include: • Lower workers' compensation insurance costs • Reduced medical expenditures Safety and Health