Published
February 10, 2026
Ask any corporate safety officer or safety manager about how to control workplace injuries and the first thing they will say is the company has to have a safety and health program. Absent an explicit plan that confirms the employer’s commitment to a workplace safety culture and demonstrates to employees that safety is a priority, the best anyone can hope for is pure luck.
OSHA has dubbed the new effort Safety Champions. While building on materials developed during previous administrations, this effort differs in its interactive approach and its tailoring to employers needing different levels of assistance. Employers register with OSHA and indicate the level of support they need (Introductory, Intermediate, or Advanced). The program then takes the company through self-guided steps on how to implement an effective safety and health program. It emphasizes well-accepted elements of such programs: Management Leadership; Worker Participation; Hazard Identification and Assessment; Hazard Prevention and Control; Education and Training; Program Evaluation and Improvement; and Communication and Coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies. For more support, employers may request direct assistance from a Safety Champion Special Government Employee (SGE) who can assess their safety and health program progress at any time.
Employers interested in the Safety Champions program should understand that participating will NOT trigger an inspection or enforcement action. OSHA does not use this, or other compliance assistance programs, as ways to identify employers for enforcement.
Combined with OSHA’s recalibrated penalties and enforcement approaches, the Safety Champions program is part of OSHA signaling to employers that the agency’s emphasis will be on helping employers improve their workplace safety practices—a win-win-win scenario where the employer gets a safer workplace, employees suffer fewer injuries, and OSHA has fewer citations to resolve.
About the author
Marc Freedman
Marc Freedman is vice president of workplace policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He develops and advocates the Chamber’s response to OSHA matters; FLSA issues such as overtime, minimum wage, and independent contractors; paid leave issues; EEOC, and other labor and workplace issues.
