Osha Initiates Enforcement Program This Summer

Changes in OSHA’s policies and directions are imminent as reported through various media in the last week alone.

1. Higher penalties
   Last week we wrote in our compliance blog about higher, sometimes much higher, penalties being issued. OSHA Director Dr. David Michaels, explained in an interview with the Houston Chronicle that “OSHA enforcement and penalties are not just a reaction to workplace tragedies. They serve an important preventive function. OSHA inspections and penalties must be large enough to discourage employers from cutting corners or underfunding safety programs to save a few dollars.” OSHA expects average fines of $3,000 to $4,000 under its new rules, up from the average of about $1,000.
2. Accountability
   Many department managers fail to realize they have an obligation to provide a safe workplace, and as such they can be held personally liable for criminal penalties should an injury occur, particularly those associated with the supervisor’s willful intent not to address a known safety issue. The enforcement program OSHA is launching this summer is expected to shift more safety accountability to job site supervisors.
3. Attitude
   The Houston Chronicle reports that several sources are concerned that OSHA’s new focus on enforcement appears to be a break from OSHA's collaborative safety approach to a focus more on fines rather than correcting safety violations.

Read the full article in the Houston Chronicle “OSHA to zero in on repeat violators” or on our OSHA blog.