Six Practical Tips for Minimizing OSHA Liability

As many employers know, OSHA penalties can be costly. Some employers, however, never even receive an OSHA citation. Why is this? Is it luck? Or is it because the employer implemented well-thought and planned systems and strategies specifically designed to promote the health and safety of its workers? In my recent article in Industry Week, I assert that it is likely the later – and provide six practical tips and strategies that employers in virtually any industry may implement. These strategies include:
  • perform a

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Employer Sentenced to Prison and Fined $1.2 Million for Deaths of Two Employees

On May 14, 2010, two employees of Black Mag, LLC were killed in an explosion at the plant while manufacturing a gun powder substitute. The employees, who had been employed for just one month, were hand feeding powder into operating equipment due to the employer’s failure to implement essential protective controls. OSHA’s investigation into the cause of the explosion led to the issuance of 54 workplace safety and health citations with penalties totaling $1.2 million. Craig Sanborn, who was the company’s president, managing member and…
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Falls Prevented, Lives Saved With Three Steps

OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign offers fact sheets, posters, and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventative measures.  This website is part of OHSA’s nationwide outreach campaign to raise awareness  among workers and employers about the hazards of falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. According to OHSA, falls can be prevented and lives can be saved through three simple steps:
  1.  Plan ahead to get the job done safely;
  2.  Provide the right equipment, and
  3. Train everyone to use the equipment safely.
OSHA can provide…
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OSHA Issues $270K in Fines to Four Contractors For Hazards Related to Fall Protection

OSHA recently issued citations totaling $272,720 to four contractors following an inspection of a project involving the construction of a mid-town Manhattan hotel.  Notably, the fines were issued even though no one was hurt.  The inspection was conducted as the result of a complaint that workers were being exposed to fall hazards. The contractor receiving the heaviest of the fines, Flintlock Construction Services, LLC, is a general contractor and it was cited  for seven violations of OSHA’s fall protection and scaffolding standards for workers being…
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