AFOSH dictates?

• A. Prescribed procedures must be followed for every safety task.
• B. What must be accomplished in the workplace regarding safety, not necessarily how it will be accomplished.
• C. Safety is optional.
• D. The safety program dictates specific methods for implementing safety measures.

Answer: (B)

AFOSH emphasizes what must be accomplished in the workplace, not the exact steps to get there. It sets performance-based safety outcomes and objectives, giving supervisors the flexibility to choose the most effective methods—engineering controls, administrative controls, or PPE—to achieve those safety goals. By focusing on the end result, AFOSH ensures hazards are controlled and injuries prevented while allowing task-specific methods to fit the situation.

Prescribing procedures for every safety task is too rigid, safety isn’t optional, and saying the safety program dictates specific methods is also too prescriptive. The strength of AFOSH lies in defining the required safety outcomes and letting the appropriate methods be determined locally to meet those outcomes.