OSHA Compliance and Mock Inspections

OSHA Authorized Trainers

We are OSHA Authorized Trainers, meaning we have completed the OSHA 500 Trainer’s Certification and have at least 5 years construction and general industry safety management experience. We maintain our certified status by completing required refresher trainings. Being OSHA Authorized Trainers means we offer OSHA 10, 30, and HAZWOPER 40-hour training.

Compliance is Critical

OSHA standards exist to prevent injuries and fatalities. ALL industries are subject to the rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It is every employer’s responsibility to protect their workers by following these standards. OSHA inspectors and compliance officers will be critical when reviewing your health and safety plans and practices. Maintaining compliance through mock OSHA inspections is the best way to avoid failing an inspection.

Inspections & Violations

If a hazard exists or imminent danger is found during an OSHA compliance inspection, you will be issued a citation to abate the hazard in a fixed period of time (e.g. 30 days). You will also be fined for the hazard existing in the first place. It’s like a police officer pulling someone over for a broken taillight—you get a ticket, and you are required to repair the taillight. Additionally, the ticket is recorded in a database and can easily be retrieved by another officer should you be pulled over again for not repairing the light. Same goes for OSHA.

You have to complete a hazard abatement report and submit it to them within the allotted timeframe demonstrating how you abated the hazard. The OSHA compliance officer may even set up an announced or unannounced follow-up inspection to ensure you actually corrected the hazard and could even widen the scope of the inspection. If you did not correct it according to their guidelines and expectations, a failure-to-abate citation is issued.

This happens when an employer fails to fix or address previously cited hazardous conditions, practices, or noncompliant equipment. This would be like not repairing your taillight and getting pulled over again. You are now issued a second offense and the fines will most certainly be more severe this time around.

In addition, you have now put yourself and your company on a watchlist of sorts. Like getting pulled over for speeding, if it’s the first time ever, you will likely be issued a warning. If you get pulled over and the officer sees a history of violations, you should expect harsher punishment.

How OSHA Inspections Work

Before conducting an inspection, OSHA compliance officers research the inspection history of a worksite using various data sources. They review the operations and processes in use and the standards most likely to apply. They also bring testing instruments to measure potential hazards such as noise or dust.

Typically, the inspector will ask to see the OSHA 300 log, SDS records, training records and other documented safety programs. Afterwards they do a walk-around, taking photos and notes of anything they see as a potential violation.

Some of the typical things they look at are:

• Fire protection
• PPE
• Walkways
• Elevated surfaces or areas with fall potential
• Stairways
• Exit ways
• Ladders
• Hand and power tools
• Equipment, machines, and machine guarding
• Lockout/Tagout stations
• Welding operations
• Gas cylinders
• Compressors
• Hoists
• Forklifts
• Spraying operations
• Confined spaces
• Flammable, combustible, and hazardous materials
• Electrical hazards
• Ventilation
• And so on… (It’s a pretty exhaustive list.)

How O’Brien’s Helps

O’Brien’s can help implement a new safety program or system after an OSHA audit if your company was issued a citation. In fact, we do it all the time. We have had a number of customers who initially wanted just the basic, required safety training for their employees. Then they had an OSHA audit and…let’s just say it didn’t go well.

Unfortunately, the worst thing a company can do is respond incorrectly to an OSHA audit and not properly abate the hazard. Eventually, OSHA says enough is enough, and you must take immediate action. Don’t wait until that time to give us a call.

With our trade secrets and proven methods, we can help you correct problems and create a robust safety program that includes training, self-inspection, and corrective actions. We attend the OSHA follow-up meeting with most of our customers or help develop their formal, written response to OSHA.

Since OSHA compliance in the workplace is critical, O’Brien’s Safety Services can create a customized audit plan and OSHA mock inspection checklist to enhance your compliance program. Some of the tools used to accomplish this goal include:

• Audits – Mock OSHA inspection including comprehensive, written assessment and corrective action recommendations.
• Inspections – System / process compliance inspections and pre-installation inspections.
• Compliance Walk-Through – Compliance review per state, NFPA and OSHA regulations.
• OSHA HAZCOM / Global Harmonization System (GHS) review and compliance audit.
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) audit and GHS SDS compilation.
• OSHA 10- and 30-hour classes for construction and general industry.
• Review and assist with OSHA recordkeeping compliance.

If you need a mock OSHA inspection to determine how your company is doing, then you need O’Brien’s safety services. Call today to start your audit or design your new safety plan.