Did you know that if you put a comprehensive safety program in place you may be entitled to a "Focus 4 Inspection" rather than a "Comprehensive Inspection" when OSHA shows up at your construction job site?
While I was performing a lot of construction job site consultations, most contractors were not aware of it. It could really help you limit your potential fines. But, more importantly, it helps you to identify and eliminate hazards and create a safer worksite for your employees.
Safety and Health Management Program
In order to comply with the General Safety & Health Provisions outlined, it is necessary to establish a formal, written safety and health program. In addition, by developing and implementing a written safety and health program our company will qualify for a “Focused Inspection” rather than a “Comprehensive Inspection” should we receive a compliance visit from OSHA.
Under previous OSHA policy all construction inspections were comprehensive in scope, addressing all areas of the workplace and by inference all classes of hazards. This guidance may have caused compliance officers to spend too much time and effort on a few projects looking for all violations and, thus, too little time overall on many projects inspecting for hazards which are most likely to cause fatalities and serious injuries to workers. Previously, a contractor was likely to be cited for hazards that were unrelated to the four leading causes of death that make up 90% of all construction fatalities (falls from elevations — 33%; struck by — 22%; caught in/between — 18%; electrical shock — 17%). Although these other conditions are important, the time and resources spent to pursue them on a few projects can be better spent pursuing conditions on many projects related to the four hazard areas most likely to cause fatalities or serious injuries. The goal of OSHA's construction inspections is to make a difference in the safety and health of employees at the worksite.
To accomplish this, the CSHO's time will be more effectively spent inspecting the most hazardous workplace conditions. The CSHO shall conduct comprehensive, resource intensive inspections only on those projects where there is inadequate contractor commitment to safety and health. It is this group of employers that will receive our full attention.
Read more on OSHA's website:
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Author: Deborah Grow, Safety Consultant
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