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 What's
ahead under Obama's OSHA
By Jim Stanley
President,
FDRsafety, and former No. 2 official at OSHA
With Barack Obama's election
came widespread expectations of change at OSHA. Now those changes are starting
to take shape.
Here are five things to look for:
- Larger monetary penalties for violations: These
are included in a measure called the Protecting America's Workers Act,
which is expected to pass Congress.
- More aggressive enforcement: The new Secretary of
Labor, Hilda Solis, has pledged to "put enforcement back into the
Department of Labor" - including more OSHA inspections. Additionally,
OSHA's aggressive National Emphasis Programs are ramping up in various
industries, including refineries, chemical companies, general
manufacturing, construction and any industry involving combustible dust.
Employers can expect a shift away from the cooperative policy of the
recent past to a more aggressive, citation/violation-based approach.
- More inspectors: OSHA will probably increase its
enforcement staff to support its emphasis on high-risk industries, such as
construction and heavy manufacturing.
- More attention to recordkeeping: OSHA will
increase its focus on this regulation because it believes that many
employers have been inaccurately reporting injuries and illnesses for some
time.
- More liability for actions of subcontractors: New
this year is enhanced OSHA liability for employers on multi-employer
worksites. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that OSHA can
increase its citation/violation authority over owners and controlling
employers for the safety actions of subcontractors. The case was Solis v.
Summit Contractors.
So what can companies do to
get ready for this tougher enforcement environment?
The best step is to ensure
that your safety and health program is effective and enforced at all levels of
the organization.
You can also have a mock
OSHA inspection conducted in your workplace. This will review hazards
assessments, training and required documentation, safe job procedures, operator
certifications, recordkeeping and required safety and health program
implementation (lockout, confined space, fall protection, etc.). Utilizing
third-party professionals can ensure unbiased feedback about your programs.
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 With big
change afoot at OSHA, it is critical for safety professionals to keep up with
news from the agency and understand its implications.
Jim Stanley,
former No. 2 official at OSHA in Washington and president of FDRsafety, has
just launched a blog to help keep you informed. Among the first entries
on his blog was the lead article in this
newsletter. Other blog postings deal with OSHA's new stance on the VPP program
and a new enforcement approach on combustible dust.
Jim's blog
topics will include:
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New
regulations and the steps companies must take to meet them.
- Increased
enforcement (which has already begun) and how companies can protect themselves.
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New
OSHA programs in the works and what they will mean to industry.
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How
companies should shape their overall safety programs to respond to the new
environment.
Jim also
will be monitoring safety news to bring you the latest developments, along with
links to other key safety web sites and blogs.
Jim brings a
wealth of experience to the blog. In addition to his OSHA service, he has been
Vice President and Director of Safety for AK Steel and currently serves as
President of FDRsafety, a full-service safety consulting company.
Jim's blog is part of
a newly enhanced web site just launched by FDRsafety. The site contains lots of
information about our four key service areas: OSHA compliance, training, safety
staffing and expert witnesses. Take a look!
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Jerry
Teeler brings world-class roadway safety expertise to FDRsafety
FDRsafety is enhancing its expertise in roadway construction
safety with the addition of Jerry Teeler as an affiliate with the company. Jerry is revered as the leading authority
in roadway construction safety and is the former Director of Safety and Health
for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
Jerry has more than 20 years of
professional experience helping companies create, execute and improve their
safety and health programs. He is bi-lingual in Spanish and English and
can offer the following services, among others:
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OSHA 10 and 30 Hour (Construction and Roadway)
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MSHA Annual Refresher and New Miner
-
CPR and First Aid
-
Flagger Certification
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Trenching and Excavation Competent Person
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Confined Space Entry Training
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Project site Auditing for Safety
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Root Cause Analysis
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Motivational meetings for all levels of the workforce
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Program Development for Roadway construction
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Motivational speaker
Please do not hesitate to contact FDRsafety to inquire about these services.
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Visit our NEW site!
www.FDRsafety.com
FDRsafety
278 Franklin Road
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027888-755-8010
[email protected]
ABOUT FDRsafetyAt the heart of FDRsafety is this simple idea: Extensive expertise and experience bring the best results. FDRsafety is led by two nationally recognized, long-time leaders in safety: Fred Rine and Jim Stanley. Each has decades of experience improving occupational safety and health performance at companies of all sizes, including complex multi-billion dollar, multinational organizations. FDRsafety can meet your needs for a wide range of safety and health services, including training, OSHA compliance, safety staffing and expert witnesses. Contact us to learn how we can help you reduce accidents, meet federal, state and local legal requirements, reduce costs, and most importantly, protect your greatest assets - your employees.
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