As we know, compliance with OSHA regulations keeps our employees safe -and failing to meet requirements can cost an organizations thousands of dollars – and those prices have gone up.
The U.S. DOL and U.S. EPA have recently published their 2023 increases to civil penalties – with new OSHA penalties increasing over 7 percent in 2023.
The new OSHA penalty amounts are applicable to OSHA citations issued after January 15, 2023, for violations occurring after July 15, 2022
As an organization, we know that competing priorities such as time and productivity are often at the forefront of our minds, meaning that safety can get overlooked. But we also know that accidents happen – and with penalties rising over 7 percent, an effective safety program is what protects our people while saving the bottom line. So how can we ensure that we’re keeping people safe while reducing risk? Here are some best practices for staying OSHA compliant and creating a safer workplace:
Prove compliance.
If there’s no record – it didn’t happen!
When the time comes for an OSHA visit, being able to prove compliance through records can be what saves your company thousands of dollars in fines. Take for instance an accident involving defective equipment – the first thing OSHA will ask for are inspection records – and being able to provide records to prove they happened can mitigate the risk of being fined for a willful violation.
Record keeping doesn’t need to be complicated- some great tools for making this happen are our range of Inspection Checklists and Safety Documentation that provide instant carbon copy records to help prove compliance.
Get everyone involved.
Creating an effective safety program comes down to safety culture – and creating an environment where everyone is involved in working safely. This of course is a journey that takes time, but ultimately results in a faster, smarter and safer workplace. Some of the steps that we’ve seen our customers take towards achieving a stronger safety culture include:
- Making safe working Easy
- Motivating employees to choose to work safely.
- Educate employees on regulations and requirements.
- Visibly communicate safety practices.
- Celebrate safe behavior and engage employees in your safety program.
Check out some of our blog posts to read more about OSHA regulations, building safety culture, getting employees involved, and setting your organization up for safety success!
