When contractors hear the word OSHA they often cringe. The thought of violations, fines, etc often come to mind and, While they certainly are involved in those things, they provide a great deal of resources to our industry and others.
One such program you might not be aware of is their Compliance Assistance Program. This is what the CAS program is about and you can access more info at https://www.osha.gov/complianceassistance/cas
Another program that many are not aware of is OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program. This program is designed to offer no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 States, the District Of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. On-Site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.
There is even some recognition for being involved in this program it’s known as the Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). This program recognizes small business employers who have used OSHA’s On Site Consultattnn program services and operate exemplary safety and health programs, Acceptance of worksite into SHARP from OSHA is an achievement of status that singles you out among your business peers as a model for worksite safety and health. Find out rnore Info here:
Another overlooked benefit is the OSHA Publications that they produce on a whole variety of applicable topics. They can be downloaded for use in your business and they also have several e bcoks that can also be downloaded for employer use, One thing that is very useful is all the resources are in Spanish as well as English. These valuable tools can be found here:
My experience over 30 years has been mostly positive. Only 2 fines and one was reduced by 50 percent when I proved training and employee acted on his own. Another for employee not cooperating . 1 verbal warning over newspaper photo. Several inspections I wasn’t aware of until I accessed our records on their website, which anyone can do. Another verbal reminder of new regulations in effect was my last interaction, totally low key.
Osha is a scary thing in our industry, but they want to be on your side. they want to make sure people are safe for the most part.