Written programs can be used for
consistency in the event of turnover in your safety trainers.
All specific information must be available to employees upon request
Programs can be offered as proof of employer/employee commitment to each
Standard/Statute
Am
I exempt for required programs and training if I have 9 or less
employees?
Having less than 10 employees does exempt you from some of the record keeping
requirements but all of the written program, training and inspection requirements
are still mandatory and you may be cited. Remember, if you have paid 10 or
more employees in the last year, all Standards/Statutes do apply.
We
have some of the OSHA mandated programs now and already do some
training. Can we hire SafeAssure
to fill in where we might need additional
help?
Yes. SafeAssure will work with you obtain complete OSHA compliance
Your
SafeAssure program sounds great, but can we afford it?
Clients are surprised at the low over all cost of our services. We work toward
not only providing OSHA compliance programs, but giving our clients a full
safety program that will most likely save you money and time once the program
is in place.
Do
organizations need to have a Safety Committee and Safety Program
Management?
The formation of a Safety Committee is only required if you have 25+ employees
but most organizations implement a Safety Committee to ensure OSHA required
tasks are completed and monitored. SafeAssure can assist you develop a Safety
Committee.
WHAT TO DO PRIOR TO AN
OSHA INSPECTION
Notify all department heads and affected personnel
of inspection– It is important to make sure all the affected
employees understand that during an inspection OSHA will “consult
with a reasonable number of employees concerning safety and health
matters in the workplace” (OSHA).
*Note: When an investigator
arrives at your organization,
make sure that he/she provides
designated personnel with proper credentials.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING AN INSPECTION
OSHA has five different inspection priorities including imminent danger, fatal
accidents and catastrophes, employee complaints, programmed inspections,
and follow-up inspections. Each of these inspections is performed in a
similar manner.
The inspection process
is as follows:
-
Opening Conference – The
investigator will provide affected personnel “the purpose
of the investigation and its intended scope of coverage” (OSHA).
This meeting will determine who will escort the inspector during
the walkaround.
-
Review of Postings and Recordkeeping
Requirements – Workplace posters, injury
and illness records (OSHA 200 & 300 Logs), and written workplace
safety and health programs will be reviewed. MSDS sheets & Right-To-Know
training documents are considered written safety and health documents
and will be reviewed.
-
Walk Through Inspection – The
route and extent of the inspection will be determined by the
investigator. During the inspection the OSHA investigator will “observe
safety and health conditions and practices” (OSHA). He/she
will discuss any unsafe or unhealthy working condition that
is found with the employer. The inspector will give corrective
methods and in certain cases immediate correction may be possible.
This doesn’t mean they won’t cite an organization
for the violation though!
-
Closing Conference – To
conclude the inspection the investigator will conduct a meeting
with the employer and authorized personnel to discuss all findings
and observations made during the walkthrough. The violations
will be interpreted and the basis for assessing penalties will
be explained. Time allowed to correct all violations (abatement
time) will be discussed. The employer is also informed about
contesting violations and extending abatement times.
An official report will be given to the organization describing citations,
penalties and abatement times to complete the inspection.
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES
Here are some safety resource links
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