OSHA Increasing Penalties for Severe Violators

Officials at the AFL-CIO recently released their annual report called Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. Citing an estimated 9-14 million workplace injuries in 2008, as well as recent tragedies in mining, refineries, and plants, the report lays much of the blame on shortcomings of the OSHA and the Bush administration. Since regulation of such matters directly affects most of our audience, I want to give you all a quick heads-up on what OSHA and lawmakers are currently doing to address these serious concerns.

As reported by Risk & Insurance magazine, OSHA is now increasing penalties for severe violators. Effective mid-June (as in now), OSHA will be focusing on employers with “indifference to their responsibilities under the law”. In addition, legislation is currently being considered by the House of Representatives that would greatly increase the penalties for violations capable of causing death or serious harm.

No matter what kinds of regulations the government places on safety in the workplace, it is ultimately the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe working environment, and proper training. Employees should also be held accountable to a certain degree, for ignoring regulations and knowingly using unsafe practices. Does your company actively enforce safety regulations? How do you handle non-compliance with the regulations by your employees? Leave your answers and see others’ in the comments below