OSHA Regulations – What You Don’t Know “CAN” Hurt You!

OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enforces workplace safety regulations and sets requirements for OSHA training at over 7 million workplaces.  

OSHA regulations govern the activities of the employer. “Employer” means an individual, corporation, association, or partnership in a business affecting commerce that has employees. 

Currently 23 states and territories have their own regulatory programs that apply to both private businesses and government workplaces. Some adopt the OSHA rules, and some have stricter requirements and stronger penalties. 

Many businesses claim that safety and health rules are overly complex and difficult to understand. As many large and small companies have found out, ignorance is not bliss. What you don’t know can hurt you. 

Avoid Penalties – Workplace Safety Compliance and OSHA Training  

Just about everyone recognizes the value of protecting employees from harm. Businesses must also recognize that violations of workplace safety and health standards come with some form of civil or criminal penalties.

With civil penalties of up to $70,000 for each violation, penalties can reach into the millions of dollars. Criminal penalties can result in prison time. 

There is a very active OSHA inspection program. In a recent year, OSHA conducted more than 37,000 workplace inspections and identified over 83,000 violations. 

Civil Penalties The penalty regulations (29 CFR 1903.15) direct OSHA to assess civil penalties on the basis of:

  • The gravity of the alleged violation,
  • The size of the business,
  • The employer’s good faith in attempting to comply,
  • The employer’s history of prior violations.

Criminal Penalties In addition to civil penalties, the following may result in criminal penalties: 

  • Willful violations causing death,
  • Giving unauthorized, advance notice of an inspection,
  • Giving false information ,
  • Killing, assaulting, or hampering the work of an OSHA inspector.

IAM C.R.E.S.T. Can Help Both Labor and Management! 

Training is an essential component of any safety and health program designed to reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace.  The Corporation for Re-Employment and Safety Training (CREST) offers training that focuses on awareness, problem recognition, solutions in work-related injuries and illnesses and OSHA compliance. Through proper training, many work-related injuries can be avoided. 

C.R.E.S.T. offers Joint Labor/Management site-specific training to meet individual needs of the employers.  

Specific programs can be developed for your site by experienced, qualified safety and health specialists.  C.R.E.S.T. is a 501(C)(5) Non-profit organization.  Tuition is based on a fee-for-service consisting of: 

  • Cost per participant per day;
  • Flexible based class size, duration, and location;
  • Class minimum of 20 mixed labor and management participants per session;
  • Discounts available for multi-programs;
  • Federal/State/Local programs – may subsidize or offset training costs.

C.R.E.S.T. Training is a “Win-Win” for the Membership and the Employer 

  • Awareness and site-specific developed training;
  • Quality labor and management-based training;
  • Joint labor & management training successfully breaks down barriers to address S&H issues;
  • Establishes Safe Workplace Action Teams (SWAT) capability to respond to S&H problems;
  • Improves the effectiveness of Safety & Health Committees;
  • Improves true Joint Labor/Management participation;
  • Builds relationships with shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect;
  • Provides employee ownership;
  • Increases employee morale;
  • Additional people to address Safety & Health issues;
  • Provides access to various Safety & Health data;
  • Reduction in injuries and illnesses;
  • Lower worker’s compensation costs;
  • Lower insurance premiums.

For Available Courses:http://www.goiam.org/index.php/headquarters/departments/crest/crest-table-articles/613-training-available-from-crest

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