Life goes on after an OSHA inspection. Here are some tips for dealing with OSHA citations, and a look at a tool that can help you avoid them in the first place.
Yesterday’s Advisor told you what you can expect when an OSHA inspector arrives at your facility. But when the walkaround and closing conference are over, what happens next?
After the conference, the OSHA inspector will write a report with recommendations and give it to the area supervisor, who will make any changes warranted. The report is then sent to the area director, who can also make changes, and who ultimately signs it. Only then does any citation become valid. The report is next sent to you by registered mail, and you have 15 days to respond to any citations.
If you do receive an OSHA citation, don’t panic–but don’t ignore it. You are required by law to post copies of the relevant pages at or near each apparent violation.
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BLR’s experts recommend that you then promptly convene a meeting of your key staff, including safety director, maintenance chief, plant engineer, and any management rep who accompanied the OSHA inspector during the walkaround (you may wear several of these hats). Give everyone a copy of the report documents.
You should also consider inviting an authorized union/employee representative to the meeting. Including a union/employee rep in the meeting can go a long way toward establishing good faith and strengthening the employee-employer partnership. It also helps demonstrate your safety consciousness to OSHA.
A white paper available at our subscription website, Safety.BLR.com, strongly recommends that your organization send representatives to OSHA for an informal conference during the 15-day response period. This will allow you to discuss the report, protest citations, get penalty amounts lessened or their classification lowered, and abatements extended.
It’s in your best interest to have one of these informal meetings because what’s discussed there cannot be used in court, so you can air your protests and also reach out for assistance.
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One good way to avoid OSHA citations is to not get inspected in the first place. But, if you do get inspected, you’ll want your facility to be as “citation-proof” as possible – and that’s where Safety.BLR.com comes into play.
This award-winning website provides detailed analysis of what you can expect from an OSHA inspection (and such other agencies as the DOT and EPA). You’ll find nearly 100 helpful tools – including white papers, PowerPoints, case studies, checklists, handouts, quizzes, policies, meetings, regulations, OSHA directives, interpretations, guidance documents, and more – just on the topic of Inspections.
And Inspections is just one of more than 150 topics covered in this “do it all” safety site.
In addition to its comprehensive – and plain-English — compliance resources, Safety.BLR.com also meets all your safety training needs with thousands of audio presentations, PowerPoints, meetings, toolbox talks, trainer’s guides, and much, much more.
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We’re pretty enthused about Safety.BLR.com and all of its recent enhancements and 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.