Health and safety services are what most HR teams and business owners are looking for when they need to reduce workplace incidents, meet regulatory requirements, and prove compliance during an audit or inspection. If you’re evaluating a health and safety company, the right partner should help you build a program that’s practical (employees can follow it), documentable (you can show it), and aligned with OSHA and state-specific rules—especially around required postings, hazard communication, and training.
What “health and safety services” should include (and why it matters)
A comprehensive set of health and safety services goes beyond generic safety advice. It should create an end-to-end compliance system that connects policies, training, documentation, and postings. If you’re still clarifying the scope, SwiftSDS breaks down the essentials in our guide to define workplace safety, including the difference between “safety” and “health” controls and what regulators typically expect to see.
At a minimum, a credible health and safety company should be able to support:
- Hazard identification and risk assessment (job hazard analyses, walkthroughs, exposure evaluations)
- OSHA-required written programs (e.g., Hazard Communication, PPE, Lockout/Tagout where applicable)
- Training (initial, refresher, role-based, and documented)
- Incident response and recordkeeping (injury logs, investigations, corrective actions)
- Regulatory postings and notice requirements (federal, state, and sometimes city/county)
Core compliance requirements your safety program should map to
Federal OSHA: the backbone for most employers
Most private-sector employers are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910 for General Industry, 1926 for Construction, etc.). While requirements vary by industry, the “must-haves” frequently include:
- General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)): requires employers to provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards.”
- Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200): written HazCom plan, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), labeling, and employee training for hazardous chemicals.
- Recordkeeping (29 CFR 1904): certain employers must maintain OSHA 300/301/300A records and post the annual summary when required.
- PPE (29 CFR 1910 Subpart I): hazard assessment, PPE selection, and training.
Actionable step: create a compliance matrix that lists each applicable OSHA standard, the required written program/training/documentation, the owner, and where records are stored. Pair that with a posting review using SwiftSDS’s Federal (United States) Posting Requirements page so you can quickly confirm what notices must be displayed.
State plans and local rules: where employers get caught off guard
Some states run their own OSHA-approved “State Plan” programs (e.g., California). These can be more stringent than federal OSHA and may include additional training requirements, higher penalty structures, or industry-specific standards.
If you operate in California, start by reviewing California (CA) Posting Requirements and, for city-specific details, San Francisco County, CA Posting Requirements. Posting compliance is often low-effort but high-risk if missed during an inspection.
In Massachusetts, employers also face a layered set of required notices. If you have MA locations—especially public-sector workplaces—ensure you can produce and post relevant notices such as the Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Protection for Public Employees poster where applicable. For Boston-area employers, validate local posting rules using Boston, Suffolk County, MA Posting Requirements, and for Central MA employers, review Worcester County, MA Posting Requirements.
What a health and safety company should do for you (service-by-service)
1) Build or update required written programs
A strong provider will tailor written programs to your actual tasks, equipment, and headcount—not generic templates. Common program deliverables include:
- Hazard Communication Plan (aligned to OSHA HazCom)
- Emergency Action Plan / Fire Prevention Plan (where required)
- PPE hazard assessment + certification
- Lockout/Tagout program (if servicing/maintenance of energized equipment is performed)
- Respiratory Protection program (if respirators are required)
Actionable step: verify that every written program includes (1) scope, (2) responsible roles, (3) training requirements, (4) audit cadence, and (5) document control/versioning.
2) Deliver training that meets compliance—and sticks
Training failures are often documentation failures. A compliant training system should track:
- Who was trained, on what topic, when, and by whom
- Language accessibility (especially for hazard communication and safety-critical tasks)
- Refresher triggers (new chemicals, new equipment, incidents, near-misses)
For teams building foundational competency, consider aligning internal training plans with a structured curriculum like SwiftSDS’s basic health and safety course. For HR teams benchmarking credentials, our overviews of hse certification and environmental health and safety certification programs can help you evaluate qualifications without overbuying training your roles don’t need.
3) Support “Right to Know” and worker communication requirements
Many compliance breakdowns happen when employees don’t receive clear, accessible hazard and rights information. Beyond OSHA HazCom, some states have specific “right to know” concepts (especially for temporary workers, chemicals, or workplace rights notices).
SwiftSDS’s explainer on employee right to know can help you structure your communication plan so you’re not relying on informal verbal instructions. In Massachusetts, for example, some employers must display the Your Rights under the Massachusetts Temporary Workers Right to Know Law notice—an easy win for compliance when you know it applies.
4) Establish incident response, investigation, and corrective actions
Health and safety services should include a repeatable, documented incident workflow:
- Immediate response (first aid, emergency services, scene control)
- Notification rules (e.g., OSHA severe injury reporting timelines if applicable)
- Investigation (root cause, contributing factors, photo/document capture)
- Corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) with owners and due dates
- Recordkeeping (OSHA logs where required, workers’ comp reporting, internal metrics)
Actionable step: run a quarterly “tabletop” drill for your incident process so supervisors know what to do before something happens.
5) Keep postings, policies, and HR processes aligned
Workplace compliance doesn’t live only in the safety department. Harassment prevention, drug-free workplace policies, and wage/hour notices can intersect with safety culture, investigations, and employee relations.
- If you maintain drug and alcohol rules (especially for federal contractors or safety-sensitive roles), ensure your policy aligns with your obligations under the drug free workplace act.
- Train supervisors on complaints and investigations in a way that aligns with harassment in the workplace laws, since retaliation and reporting failures often escalate risk after a safety incident.
- Centralize postings management so you don’t miss updates. A managed compliance poster service can help ensure the right notices are displayed as laws change.
For Massachusetts employers, it’s also important to confirm you have the right non-safety notices posted (often reviewed during audits), such as the Notice to Employees and Massachusetts Wage & Hour Laws.
How to evaluate a health and safety company (selection checklist)
Use this quick checklist when comparing providers:
- Industry experience: Do they understand your risk profile (manufacturing, healthcare, construction, retail, office)?
- Regulatory fluency: Can they map work activities to specific OSHA standards and state rules?
- Deliverables: Will you receive written programs, training rosters, inspection reports, and corrective action tracking?
- Posting and notice support: Can they help you confirm required postings by jurisdiction (federal/state/city)?
- Ongoing cadence: Do they offer audits, refreshers, and update alerts—or is it a one-time binder?
Actionable step: ask for a sample “audit-ready” package (redacted) showing what you would present during an OSHA visit or insurance audit.
FAQ: Health and safety services
What’s the difference between health and safety services and EHS consulting?
Health and safety services typically focus on OSHA-aligned workplace safety programs, training, inspections, and incident processes. EHS consulting may also cover environmental compliance (air, waste, stormwater) and broader management systems. If you’re clarifying scope, start with how SwiftSDS helps define workplace safety and then expand into EHS as needed.
Do small businesses need a formal safety program?
Often, yes—especially if you have hazardous chemicals, powered equipment, or higher-risk tasks. OSHA doesn’t require a single universal “safety manual,” but many specific standards require written plans, training, and documentation. Posting requirements also apply regardless of size in many jurisdictions; review Federal (United States) Posting Requirements to confirm what you must display.
How do I know which labor law posters apply to my location?
Poster requirements can vary by state and even by city/county. Start with your jurisdiction page (e.g., California (CA) Posting Requirements or Boston, Suffolk County, MA Posting Requirements) and then confirm you’re maintaining updates through a managed compliance poster service.
SwiftSDS helps employers operationalize compliance by connecting safety programs to the notices, training, and documentation regulators look for—so your workplace safety approach is not only effective, but defensible.