Are You Protecting Your Temp Workers from OSHA?
A fast way to earn OSHA’s ire is for a temporary employee to be injured or killed. Pushed largely by unions, OSHA has started a Temporary Employee Initiative and heavily cites both the host and provider for violations. Many employers have never carefully analyzed how they manage seasonal and temporary employees. Don’t let safety training and compliance slip through the cracks. For specific questions or further guidance, please contact OGA’s preferred labor relations & employment law attorney, Matt Austin of Roetzel and Andress at MAustin@ralaw.com or 614-723-2010
OSHA 300A Form Must Be Posted on February 1st!
It is that time of year again – time to post your OSHA 300A form. Here are the forms needed for OSHA compliance. As a reminder, they are: 1) the 300 form for recording your 2019 injuries and illnesses; and 2) the 300A form for summarizing your 300 form from 2018. The 300A form must be posted in a prominent place from February 1 through April 30. All forms must be maintained for 5 years. Please remember that failure to comply with the posting requirement could result in an OSHA fine of at least $4,000. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Mullins, or call 614-448-1622.
OSHA Secretly Increases Penalties Over 80%
(November 12, 2015) Tucked away in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 signed by President Obama earlier this month is a provision that will increase OSHA fines for the first time in 25 years. The new budget directs OSHA to increase fines by about 80 percent. The maximum penalty for willful and repeat violations is expected to increase from $70,000 to about $125,000 while the maximum penalty for serious and other than serious violations is expected to increase from $7,000 to about $12,500. The adjustment is set to occur on August 1, 2016.
In addition to steep increases to the current fines, OSHA will now be required to adjust its penalty levels based on inflation and the Consumer Price Index. Going forward, increases in OSHA penalties will occur at the beginning of each year.
These significantly higher penalties make it even more important for employers to ensure they are OSHA compliant before a violation or surprise inspection occurs and to mount a strong defense to any OSHA citation. We recommend contacting OGA’s preferred labor and employment attorney Matt Austin, from Roetzel & Andress for any further questions on this matter. You can reach Matt at MAustin@ralaw.com or by phone at 614-723-2010.