How Does OSHA Raise Penalties 82% and We Don’t Notice? The two year Budget Agreement that president Obama signed in November 2 under closed doors, surprisingly included provisions that authorized Occupational Safety & Health Administration raised the penalties by as much as 50% to a new historic high level of 82%. This was the first time the penalty was being raised since Bush senior’s tenure in office, 15 years ago. In spite of the increase, Statistics indicate that OSHA fines are still…
one of the most important roles of Human Resources (HR), because it is responsible for assisting the employee and the employer various issues. Issues like substance abuse, emotional mental health, health and older employees, organizational safety culture, safety training and communication, inspection investigation and evaluation, are some of the workplace issues HR consults with employees and employers. Also, HR provides counsel to employees and employers concerning their work related issues. …
Federal OSHA is an agency responsible for the safety and health of 130 million workers and 8 million worksites throughout the nation. According to information obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, more than 4,500 workers were killed in 2013. When compared to 2012, fatal work injuries related to the private construction sector increased by 3 percent. This increase represents the largest number of fatal work injuries in this sector since 2009. In 2013, the fatal work injuries…
follow the standards of OSHA to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. According to Donnelly (1982) the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) was designed to protect over 55 million workers in 4.1 million workplaces. OSHA was put into effect by the government to ensure employers were held accountable for any safety instances that may arise. Donnelly (1982) also states it is the first comprehensive federal legislation in the United States to recognize the…
Let’s start with what a OSHA 300 Log is The OSHA 300 log is a form used by employers to summarize employee injuries and illnesses. This log must be posted in a visible place where all operations are conducted and must be easily visible. This form has three main sections: • Identification • Description • Classification The first part contains: • Name • Case number • Job title The second column provides: • A description of where the incident happened • Date of injury/Illness • Injury…
5. Conduct safety regular audits and provide training and educational awareness to prevent and lessen the risk factors associated with the cited items. For example, author of “OSHA compels disclosure of safety and health audits: Smart enforcement or misguided policy?”, Stephen C. Yohay, states, “the federal government has appeared to encourage such efforts. In July 1391 then Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin sent a letter to the chief executive officers of the Fortune 500 companies, urging them…
they have little experience and knowledge regarding safety regulations. The plant and every employee working for the company is in danger of unforeseen safety hazards since no one is concerned with safety. If the management does not understand the need for a safe work environment, how is the employee supposed to understand how to properly complete a job task in regards to OSHA guidelines? Dynamic Duo, Inc. needs to enforce the need for a safety program and it should start with the management…
routine accident investigation, multiple company employees were interviewed regarding the incident. According to the injured employee, a machine he was working with was not safe for use. When questioned about the safety of the offending machine, another employee agreed, claiming that a safety guard on the machine was poorly made. He further explained that the shop foreman was informed of the unsafe…
Before the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970 worker safety was not necessarily on the forefront of everyone employers mind. The safety movement in general had gotten an early start, somewhere between 1907 and 1912, where nearly every state that was industrialized had some form of safety laws in place after the public had grown too enraged over the accident levels that had reached high peaks around 1907. The problem, however, was that many of these laws were…
way to reduce accidents and prevent fatalities from occurring. A construction company can achieve this with a well written and implemented a safety plan. It is important for a construction company to implement a widespread safety program because it gives the employees the skills needed to reduce accidents, illnesses, and deaths. Therefore, an extensive safety program should be the priority of a construction company because it prevents on-site accidents which affect not only the employee but also…