OSHA is all about making the workplace safe and sound for all the construction workers. This organization has been working around the clock to make sure that there is safety for construction workers all around the globe.
The organization believes in thorough inspection to make sure that employers are complying with the standards and ground rules laid down by OSHA.
Let’s see how many inspections have been covered by far and what are the reasons and methods of OSHA Inspections.
Stats about OSHA Inspections
Back in 2022, OSHA conducted 31,8204 inspections and this includes 17,739 unprogrammed inspections related to employee complaints, injuries, fatalities, and referrals. Among the 31,820 inspections, 14,081 were programmed inspections.
The latter focused on enforcement resources towards industries and operations where known hazards exist including construction. Now let’s have a look at the way OSHA conducts inspections.
How OSHA prioritize the Inspections
OSHA is for everyone but you will find the inspection team at the places where there are certain hazards. We can say that this organization has some rules of priority according to which they conduct the inspections at certain places including construction workspace. Let’s see where OSHA is most likely to conduct an inspection. Individuals seeking comprehensive training on OSHA guidelines can benefit from platforms like 360 Training OSHA, which provide in-depth courses to enhance workplace safety knowledge.
- It is likely to conduct an inspection at a place where there is the possibility of Imminent danger
- You will find the employees of OSHA at places where there are notable cases of employee injuries, illnesses, catastrophes or death.
- In case there are any complaints from workers, OSHA is likely to pay the organization a visit.
- It also visit workplaces if there are referrals from federal, state or local agencies
- The organization also visits places for Target industry inspections and follow-up inspections.
Stages of OSHA Inspections
So technically when the organization feels like that it has to be somewhere for an inspection then there are usually four stages involved. In the following section we will talk about these for stages that are the regular procedure of an OSHA inspection.
Target Selection
Obviously, the first step for OSHA is to identify which workplaces will be inspected each day. Keep in mind that OSHA is prohibited from giving an employer any warning that an inspection will be conducted. All investigations begin as a “surprise” for the employer.
The actual process of selecting a facility for inspection is a kind of “blackbox” effort using several methods.
Ultimately, OSHO will assign or select a specific workplace based on criteria and select a venue.
Opening Credentials
OSHA will always attempt to enter the facility through their main entrance identifying themselves as an OSHA compliance officer and requesting a meeting with employee representatives. Ensuring your workforce is well-versed in OSHA guidelines is crucial, and platforms like OSHA 30 Education Center offer comprehensive courses to enhance employees’ understanding of workplace safety.
Employers can check their credentials and they can also call their local office to confirm their identity. There have been many cases where individuals have been seen posing as law enforcement officers — and have been arrested. It’s rare, but it does happen.
During the opening session, the officer will explain why an investigation is being initiated (complaints, referrals, special reasoning process, whatever it may be) and explain how the process works and generally what is due that expected throughout the analysis. At this time, the officer may request certain documents such as OSHA 300 logs, possibly copies of the safety plans and other information.
Walk Through
The “walk-through” is the part of the investigation where the OSHA officer accompanied by the employer’s representatives actually walks into the areas under investigation and observes, interviews employees, takes photographs / video or possibly investigates everything.
These are the areas where the OSHA representative will pay close attention and focus on finding breaches that will be highlighted.
Closing Conferences
This is the fourth step and this comes when the officer is done with the inspection.
This step also involves having a discussion with the employer without any warning or penalty. In this stage the officer simply closed the conference and left the employer in anticipation of what was coming for him and his organization.
Penalty if Applicable
OSHA has 6 months from the date the investigation began to issue a citation. This is consistent with the restrictions set forth in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
If OSHA does not issue a letter to the employer at this time, the investigation is closed and a citation cannot be issued. In this stage the organization can also issue a penalty.
East farming and Aspen Heights are a few of the construction companies that got heavy fines after OSHA inspection.
Conclusion
As discussed above OSHA is all about prioritizing the health and safety of outdoor workers including construction. Everything is very systematic when it comes to this organization and they make sure to conduct inspections that comply with their laid rules.
There is only one way to make sure you are complying with the rules and regulations defined by OSHA and that is to take a 30 hour training program. This training will teach you how to be considerate about the health and safety of your construction workers to prevent the penalties the federal agency can for sure apply.