Enforcement and Inspection

How to Prepare for an OSHA Inspection


Yesterday we looked at what to expect from an OSHA inspection. Today we move on to how to prepare for an inspection. Being well prepared will help you get the best outcome should OSHA come knocking at your door.


In theory, OSHA inspections do not need a reason to happen. Any organization can be visited at any time by an inspector who need not have any reason to show up except the fact that the workplace is covered by federal safety regulations.


In fact, however, the large majority of OSHA inspections happen for specific reasons, including following up on an accident or violation, or because an OSHA initiative has targeted a specific industrial sector or activity, or, especially, because of a complaint about how the organization implements worker safety.




It’s the answer to all of your safety training and compliance needs. BLR’s renowned Safety.BLR.com® website is now available in Version 2.0. Take our no-cost site tour! Or better yet, try it at no cost or obligation for a full 2 weeks.

What Will OSHA Look For?


The kinds of violations an inspector looks for depend on the nature of your operations and the particular hazards of your workplace. However, during the past few years, the most-often-cited OSHA violations for general industry have featured safety and health problems related to:


•   Machine guarding [29 CFR 1910.212]
•   Lockout/tagout [1910.147]
•   Personal protective equipment [1910.132]
•   Hazardous chemical information and training [1910.1200]
•   First-aid and eyewash facilities [1910.151]
•   Walking-working surfaces [1910.23]
•   Respiratory protection [1910.134]
•   Electrical wiring [1910.305]
•   Powered industrial trucks [1910.178]




Now there’s much more of a good thing! Try the new Version 2.0 of Safety.BLR.com. Go here to take a no-cost site tour or here to try it in your own office!

Do You Have a Plan?


If you have not had an inspector cross your threshold in many years (if ever), it may be tempting to be less than 100 percent rigorous about compliance with all OSHA rules. The effort to train new or transferred employees can be onerous, especially as other pressures increase in our stressed economy.


But you should never assume that your employees are so skilled or knowledgeable that they don’t need more training. And it’s dangerous to assume that employees are so well protected that they would never report a potential violation or hazardous situation to OSHA.


To avoid unnecessarily triggering an inspection, and to be prepared should an inspection occur, you need an effective compliance plan incorporating five key elements:


•   Knowledge and implementation of all relevant OSHA regulations;
•   Regular communication with employees and employee representatives about working conditions and worker safety;
•   Robust and effective safety and health training programs;
•   Well communicated and consistently enforced safety rules; and
•   A clear understanding of what an OSHA inspection entails.


You’ve Got Help


Fortunately, all the resources you need to develop an effective compliance plan, maintain a safe workplace, and prepare successfully for OSHA inspections are right at your fingertips on Safety.BLR.com.


And thanks to the easy-to-navigate format, you’ll easily find all the information you need in just minutes.


BLR® recently revamped Safety.BLR.com to meet your needs even better. Those of you who used the site in its original version will be amazed by all the new features and functionality. Highlights include:



  • Side-by-Side State/Federal Compliance. By placing our state and federal regulatory analysis side by side, you easily see how to fully comply with both governmental entities.

  • MSDS Library Expansion. The site now provides an immense library of 3.5 million MSDS forms, with about 10,000 more added or changed every week. Need one? Just call up the chemical by name, manufacturer, product group, or CAS number, and then print it out.

  • Newsletter Wizard. If you’ve ever wanted to publish a safety newsletter but felt lacking in editorial skills, this new addition is for you.

  • Plan Builder. Select from our library of safety plans, customize them to suit your company’s needs, and assemble them into collections you can save in our personal library.

We’re pretty excited about Safety.BLR.com and all of its recent enhancements, and we’re eager for you to experience it, too. That’s why we’ve created a complimentary site tour, available here. It takes just 5 minutes.


If you like what you see, you’re invited to try the site at no cost and with no obligation. We’ll even give you a complimentary special report for doing so. Go here to take a 5-minute tour of the new Safety.BLR.com. It may be just what you’re looking for.


Other Recent Articles on Enforcement and Inspection:


What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection
Keep OSHA at Bay—Self-Inspect Today
Safety Inspections: Achieving the Ideal
Does the New Stormwater MSGP Affect You?

Print

1 thought on “How to Prepare for an OSHA Inspection”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.