Get ready for a Cal/OSHA or OSHA inspection

There is no certificate that makes a business "OSHA compliant". Neither Cal/OSHA nor federal OSHA certifies employers; compliance is shown during an inspection by producing the written programs, the training records and the operational logs. The Inspection readiness panel on Documents → Training Records (below the Training Library) lays that out per location — what SafeShift can prove, what only you can confirm — with the legal basis and the next step for every item.

1. 1

   Written programs: upload, link, get acknowledged

   For each program the panel lists (in California: IIPP, Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, Hazard Communication, Heat Illness; elsewhere: Hazard Communication, Emergency Action Plan) — 1. download the official template (📄 Template), fill in the red sections for your site, save as PDF; 2. in the same Set up dialog, give it a name and Upload PDF (or upload it under Settings → Documents); 3. choose it in the dropdown so SafeShift knows that document *is* your IIPP, and Save; 4. send it from Policy Campaigns so every employee reads and acknowledges it. The row turns green when everyone active at that location has signed.

2. 2

   Training records

   The panel counts who holds a current certificate for each catalog module that applies at the location (employee safety, supervisor safety, workplace violence; the federal variant outside California). *Current* means passed, signed, and not expired. Assign the unassigned, remind the rest — both from the Training Library below.

3. 3

   Only you can confirm

   Some obligations leave no trace in software: walking the periodic inspection, reviewing the violent incident log (even when empty), confirming who reports a serious injury within 8 hours, checking the break-room postings, keeping the chemical inventory and SDS binder current. Do the thing, then Mark done with an optional note. Each item has a period (quarterly or annual) and turns red when it is due again. Every attestation is kept with who and when — it is the dated trail an inspector looks for.

4. 4

   Print the summary for the binder

   ⬇ Summary PDF on each location gives a one-page status: every item, its status, cite and next action. It states plainly that it is your own status record, not a finding by any agency. Keep it with the signed programs, the certificates and your inspection notes.

5. 5

   Want an outside check?

   Cal/OSHA Consultation Services (and federal OSHA's On-Site Consultation) send a consultant to review your programs and hazards for free, confidentially, with no citations — you fix what they find. Small employers that pass a full visit and correct everything can earn SHARP recognition and an exemption from programmed inspections for a period. That is the closest thing to an official "you're in good shape", and it is earned on site, not bought.