On construction job sites, OSHA requires many safety standards to be followed. For example, in work sites where a worker is required to enter a confined space, various safety standards must be followed. These safety standards include such areas as Hazard communications between the employer and the employees, Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing that is necessary to protect the employee from head, eye, foot, torso and breathing hazards. It also covers such areas as providing ladders that have been deemed safe for the work site that comply with OSHA’s requirement for the proper height of the ladder to get in and out of a hole safely. OSHA requires that training be provided to the employee that is designed to alert the employee to the hazards and risks of the jobsite so that the employee is better able to avoid hazards and remain safe in the work environment. In a situation where an employee is to enter a confined space to do work, the employee may have had annual OSHA training on Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing and the risks of using chemicals and potential hazards to health. However, OSHA also requires the Employer or entity controlling the job site to conduct site specific training to educate the employee of what hazards exist on that construction site or that specific confined space. This could include hazards of improper ventilation, pipes that may be leaking fumes or gases, electrical risks of shock, fall hazards or similar dangers on the job site.
To enforce its standards OSHA is authorized to inspect work sites to determine if the employer is complying with the relevant safety standards. Inspections are conducted without advanced notice. If an employer refuses to allow OSHA to inspect the premises, OSHA may take legal action against the employer and impose fines and penalties for the failure to comply with the OSHA act. However as a practical matter, OSHA can’t inspect every work site. Therefore, OSHA gives certain situations the highest priority. These situations include a job site with an imminent-danger where there is reasonable certainty that a danger exists to cause death or serious physical harm before the danger can be eliminated. Next OSHA investigates fatalities and catastrophes in the jobsite that resulted in hospitalization. Next OSHA investigates employee complaints against an employer for OSHA violations or hazards in the workplace. Last, OSHA conducts pre-planned inspections that are for high-risk occupations or employers that have risks of death and injury in the workplace.
When employers follow OSHA’s guidelines on health and safety it helps prevent the risk of serious injuries and death to employees. OSHA contained a very complex set of standards and guidelines that are impossible to fully explore in one article. Therefore, future articles will focus more in depth on requirements in confined spaces, the OSHA inspection process and the OSHA process for charging employers with violations of the regulations and standards under the ACT.
For more information about OSHA see: www.osha.gov and 29CFR1910.
Blog article by Phillip A. Tatlow