6 Strategies to Avoid OSHA Citations

Companies spend time, energy and money to provide a safe environment for employees. Taking the initiative before an incident, accident or OSHA inspection occurs will save money, prevent injuries and save lives.

• OSHA fines are now $15,625 per violation for violations considered serious, other-than-serious, and posting requirements (effective January 17, 2023).
• Failing to abate fines are $15,625 per day beyond the abatement date.
• Willful and Repeated fines are up to $156,259 per violation.

Here are a few ways to avoid OSHA citations and create a safe workplace.  

Perform risk assessments

Risk assessments are a process where you identify potential hazards and analyze what damage could be done. Taking time to recognize the dangers around you will reduce your risk by avoiding it.

OSHA wants to make sure companies are being proactive with their safety. Risk avoidance is the first step.

Have strong safety policies

Every company has the duty to protect its employees from unnecessary injury. Having a safety program with established policies informs employees what is expected of them to complete the job safely. Guiding employees and not leaving dangerous tasks to chance is part of your “duty of care,” a legal obligation where reasonable care is expected to protect people from harm.

Enforce safety policies

Having a policy but doing nothing with it is common. If the culture of the company is counter to the safety policy, employees will often be at risk. Employees will look for shortcuts and find ways to circumvent safety devices to be more “efficient.” Employees should know the policies and procedures and be held accountable for actions against company safety policies.

Train employees

Educating employees on how to complete tasks safely is paramount to their success. Failure to train employees is a common OSHA violation.  If there are specific tools or safety requirements employees should use for certain tasks, they need to be trained on those responsibilities.

Encourage employees to “See Something Say Something”

Including your employees as part of the solution will make the culture of your company safer. Employees who help identify and correct unsafe conditions will make the company able to avoid easily recognizable but often ignore items that quickly become OSHA violations: grounding plugs missing from cords, compressed hose leaks, unsafe walking surfaces, hazardous operations, etc.

Check out our Stop Work Authority blog for more ideas on empowering employees to speak up.

Provide the appropriate safety equipment

Every job has the right tool available. Making sure your team has the proper safety equipment for their work is vital. Fall protection, excavations, PPE, etc. should be designed for the specific work being performed. Failing to provide appropriate safety equipment will be enough for OSHA to cite your company.

Implementing these strategies above will make your company safer, risk-averse and avoid OSHA citations and unnecessary fines.

Should you have any questions about these strategies please contact your broker or reach out to The Miller Group.