On April 22, David Michaels sent a letter to OSHA’s 10 regional administrators and the subject was administrative enhancements to OSHA’s penalties. The penalty changes may become effective in the next several months. The minimum proposed penalty amount will increase by a minimum of $500 while the average penalty for a serious violation may increase by $1,000. Employers of more than 251 employees will no longer be eligible for a size penalty reduction and the Area Director has the discretion to cite separate violations instead of grouping them into a single category for those identified in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Area Directors will be authorized to give a penalty reduction of 20% for violators that retain an independent safety consultant. ABC’s Safety Services can help you save penalty dollars through training, safety audits, program evaluation and consultation. Don’t wait until OSHA is on your site.
To read full article: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=17544
For more information contact the Safety Department at 866-444-4412.