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![]() OSHA Standards
Should you be concerned about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) visiting your facility or even your job sites for an inspection? If you have been practicing good safety standards then no, you should not. However, if you have been somewhat lackadaisical about safety, then maybe you should be a little worried. Knowing your rights and responsibilities before, during and after an inspection can make the process run more smoothly, make your worksite safer and even reduce your chances of getting a citation.
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This is something we in the sign industry should be concerned about because it means OSHA spends less time inspecting sites with good records and more time inspecting sites with potential problems. But the new focus does not mean your site is off the hook just because you have a spotless record. A complaint or accident still brings an inspector to your door. Your best measure against an OSHA inspection is preventative maintenance. This means you as a business owner or manager must stay up to date on the OSHA regulations and train your employees in the safety requirements. OSHA has identified what it considers to be the 2,200 most dangerous workplaces: those with lost workday injury and illness rates of 16 or higher in 1997. (The rates reflect the number of workdays lost, per 200,000 hours worked due to work-related injuries or illnesses.) These work sites along with others OSHA rates as having a high potential of accidents are the most inspected sites. Because of the type of work performed within the sign industry- high rise, electrical, material handling, etc.- our industry rates as a high potential to be inspected by OSHA. Inspectors are expected to look for violations of all types, but violations OSHA judge serious are the ones inspectors are likeliest to target. In fiscal 1999, the ten most frequently found serious violations related to problems with the following areas:
Area of Concern No. of Serious Violations
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(OSHA regulations often require training on particular topics such as fall protection or personal protective equipment (PPE). OSHA regulations for construction are in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1926.)
The leading causes of injury and death at construction sites:
Electrical
Safety requirements for installing and using equipment
Ladders
Handling Materials
29 CFR 1926 Name Preparing your organization for the chance that an OSHA inspector may knock on your door takes little time and effort and is well worth the small cost. Even if you are called upon by an inspector, don t sweat it! Be cooperative and assist the inspector in whatever way you can. In the event you are handed a citation for workplace safety and health violations, OSHA provides what it considers to be a reasonable abatement period, which is OSHA s term for the amount of time the employer has to fix the problem. The deadline for abatement is a specific date--- usually no more than 30 days. Even then, they will usually work with you if you are cooperating and making a genuine effort to comply. We all want our workplace to be a safe environment for our employees. Meeting the requirements of OSHA is not that difficult. It is just a matter of being familiar with the rules of the game and communicating those to your employees. And lets not forget the most important--- common sense!
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