Financial Consequences of Not Following OSHA Regulations

The workplace is supposed to be a safe place to work at. However, each year the number of work-related injuries keep rising. Many of these incidents could have been prevented. This is where OSHA steps in. "The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor." (Wikipedia.org)

Both the employees and employers must act in a safe and responsible manner. Whether it is a manufacturing plant or an educational department at a college, all businesses must be aware of the OSHA regulations. Safety guidelines for all parts of the business must be established. OSHA will conduct investigations to see if a busines is complying with the regulations.

When the OSHA team conducts the investigation, they look for dangerous conditions that can cause severe or life-threatening injuries. It could be something that is a fire hazard or where the employees are breathing in dangerous chemicals because of inadequate ventilation. They also look for conditions that can create an unsafe working environment. For example, an individual may not be wearing the correct safety equipment or items may be scattered around, thus creating a tripping hazard. The OSHA team also investigates accidents to see if it is an OSHA violation.

Many times, when a violation is pointed out, the managers will correct the situation. For example, if a dangerous situation is discovered, the employees will be removed and not return to the area until the problem is fixed. They also will correct any potential unsafe working conditions. However, some managers will ignore the warnings and not understand the consequences of following OSHA Regulations.

Any time OSHA gives a citation to an employer, the managers will know what the violation was and where it occurred. This gives managers time to rectify the problem and possibly avoid paying a fine. Depending on the violation, fines usually range from $1,000-7,000, with the more serious violations getting the stiffer fine.

If the employer knew about a situation and did not do anything to correct it, he can be fined even higher, such as $70,000. In addition, if the employer knews about a dangerous situation and did not do anything to correct it and an employee is seriously killed or injured, the employer faces a larger fine of $250,000 plus potential prison time of up to six months.

If OSHA finds a repeated offense in a future investigation, the business will have a larger fine than before. In addition, for each day a situation goes uncorrected, the business can be fined for each day.

Managers and business owners must ask themselves if it is worth it to lose thousands of dollars because of overlooking OSHA regulations. This organization is here not only to protect the employees, but also to protect the company. By taking shortcuts, managers are not helping the business; they are creating a situation where the company's door can be shut forever. By knowing and understanding what the O. S. H. A. regulations are for the business, providing training to both the managers and employees and ensuring that everybody has a safe working environment for everybody involved, the business will prosper.