Precast Inc. - July/August 2008 - (Page 57) degree of accidents or health-related problems (for example, industries with a high risk of exposure to silica). When OSHA initiates an inspection, a compliance officer will visit the workplace, identify himself or herself, explain the purpose of the visit and ask for a tour of the facility. During the inspection he or she may take pictures, examine records, talk to employees in private and point out unsafe conditions. Once the inspection is complete, the compliance officer may or may not write a citation. Citations may result in penalties imposed by OSHA’s area director, and these penalties will vary according to many factors. They may be as high as $70,000 per infraction or as low as $5,000, depending on the hazards and exposure. Whether penalties are assessed or not, any infractions must be corrected within a reasonable time period. Another aspect of the OSH Act is the recordkeeping requirement for any workplace with 10 or more employees. For recordkeeping purposes, OSHA has two classifications: those that fall under “first aid” (such as scrapes and cuts) and those designated as “recordable” (cases that require medical attention or that could result in days away from work or assignment to a different kind of duty due to the injury). These cases must be recorded in a special log and must be available for inspection by any OSHA representative. At the end of the year, the employer must generate a summary of recorded injuries and illnesses and then post it from Feb. 1 through April 30 for the employees to see. Employee and employer rights and responsibilities Under the OSH Act, employers and employees have rights and responsibilities granted to them. The employee’s responsibilities include reading the OSHA poster, which must be displayed at the place of employment detailing these rights and responsibilities. The employee must follow all the safety rules, wear or use any required equipment and follow safe work practices as directed by the employer. Employees must also report hazardous conditions to their supervisors. If the hazardous conditions are not addressed, the employee may call OSHA and issue a complaint. If an employee believes that hazardous or unhealthy conditions exist at the workplace and calls OSHA to issue a complaint or request an inspection, the employee has the right to request that his or her name remain anonymous. Therefore, when OSHA conducts an inspection, the inspector will state that it is being conducted due to a complaint but will not provide the name of the person who made the call. If the employee feels that he or she has been discriminated or retaliated against for making complaints about health and safety issues or for exercising any rights provided by the OSH Act, he or she has 30 days to file a complaint with OSHA. The employee also has the right to BOOTH 1527 THE PRECAST SHOW JULY/AUGUST 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 57 http://www.emhcranes.com http://www.emhcranes.com http://www.emhcranes.com http://www.precast.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.