Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023 - 44

[ MARKETS ] BUSINESS
W
The lighter side
of OSHA
Inviting OSHA into your
business can be your best
option-seriously!
by Jason Bader
HEN MOST OF US HEAR THE WORD " OSHA, " WE
instantly conjure up images of ticket-writing cops invading
our workplace. And these aren't the $35 tags that grace our
windshield when we linger in a parking spot too long. These citations
can easily hit the four- or five-digit mark depending on the severity
of the violation. Let's face it, a visit from the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration often ranks up there with a visit from the
Internal Revenue Service. But were you aware that there is a completely
separate arm of OSHA designed to help small businesses provide a safe
environment for their employees? Best of all, it's free.
The statement " We're from the government and we're here to help "
has been the punch line in many a pop culture medium. At the very
least, it raises an eyebrow when spoken from an over-starched, briefcasetoting
individual. Entrepreneurs are natural skeptics when it comes to
governmental assistance and advice. But I am here to tell you, this one
is a pretty good deal.
OSHA Consultation Services program
I stumbled across this side of OSHA when I began teaching a warehouse
management course for the American Supply Association. In our
discussions about employee safety, some of the participants mentioned
that they had invited an OSHA consultant in to do an assessment
of their facility. After the initial shock wore off-envisioning letting
the fox in the hen house-I was exposed to some amazing success
stories. After the session, I did some research and learned that this less
publicized side of the safety and health administration is referred to
as the On-Site Consultation Program. I even invited a member of the
consulting service side to speak at one of my training classes. It was at
this event that my opinion of this agency completely changed.
The consulting program is designed to help small businesses provide
safe working environments. It generally focuses on companies with
fewer than 250 employees at one site and works on practical solutions
designed to fit the individual environment. Best of all, working with the
consulting services side of OSHA can give you an exemption from the
enforcement side for up to two years. I would consider that some pretty
cheap insurance.
The alternative
So, what happens if the enforcement side of OSHA comes knocking
on your door? For starters, you are going to get a violation. I don't care
how squeaky clean you think you are; an inspector can always find
something to write up.
As anyone who has been investigated by OSHA can tell you, this is
not a slap-on-the-wrist event. Generally, first-time offenders without
malicious or negligent intent can expect somewhere around $7,000 per
violation discovered. Willful, repeat or severe negligence situations can
expect $50,000 to $70,000 fines being levied. Of course, these fines are
negotiable and rarely does a company pay the full amount, but it hurts all
44 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / February 2023
Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023

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