What You Need to Know About New OSHA Rules
One fall in the workplace. One collision with a forklift. One serious injury or safety violation and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration could sanction your business with a penalty significantly higher than any in the last 25 years.
Avoid OSHA Fines With Compliant Safety Upgrades
Protect yourself and your employees with upgrades for material handling safety, industrial ventilation and for prevention of slip, trip and fall hazards. Storee Construction is an authority in plant safety upgrades. We help companies in the Midwest comply with regulations, keeping workers safer and more productive.
OHSA’s maximum penalties went up by 78 percent effective August 1, 2016. The increase comes on the heels of a November 2015 law requiring federal agencies to adjust civil penalties for inflation. OHSA last changed its fines in 1990.
The new maximum penalty for a single violation is $12,471. Previously it was $7,000. Repeat or willful violations are ten times that number at $124,709.
The agency will now update charges yearly based on the Consumer Price Index. The new maximum penalty for a single violation is $12,471. Previously it was $7,000. Repeat or willful violations are ten times that number at $124,709. Visit OHSA’s website to learn more about the new OSHA rules.
The increase in fines along with other OHSA changes will have an effect on manufacturers’ plans and protocols. The agency is amending the requirements for reporting and recordkeeping, making it more important than ever for companies to have an effective safety program.
The higher fines apply to violations that occurred after November 2, 2015. The agency will consider reductions in penalties to mitigate the impact on small businesses.
Find OSHA offices and contact information for Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma here.
New Rules for Injury and Illness Tracking
Employers will need to electronically submit injury and illness data to OHSA beginning January 1, 2017. The new regulation affects companies already required to keep onsite OSHA Injury and Illness forms. Learn more about the updates here.
The agency will publish some data on its website accessible to the public. On its website, OSHA says that disclosure of data will “encourage employers to improve workplace safety and provide valuable information to workers, job seekers, customers, researchers and the general public.”
The new rule also seeks to protect workers from retaliation if they report injuries or illnesses and from policies that could deter employees from reporting a violation.
Storee Construction, Your Industrial Safety Contractor
Companies are obligated to provide employees with a safe workplace. The best way to protect your workers, as well as your business’s reputation and bottom line, is to ensure your facility is compliant. With our experience working with of manufacturing and construction
