As a business owner, you make proactive efforts to protect your workers and initiate responsible behavior to encourage safety and efficiency. You are aware that an unexpected visit from OSHA regulators could be detrimental to your company’s ability to continue to operate and perform successfully. However, there may be times when you are left to wonder if there is anything you are missing that could help you to be better prepared for a sudden inspection. At Fellman Law Office, we have helped many Minnesota companies work their way through legal consequences following an OSHA violation.
When you are familiar with common OSHA violations and understand how you can best avoid them, you may have a better chance at passing all inspections and creating a work environment that is free of unnecessary hazards and dangers. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, some common pitfalls that companies fall into and how you can avoid them include the following:
- Faulty lockout/tagout procedures: If your business requires your workers to be around hazards, chances are you have a tagout policy in place. While you may have spent considerable time organizing various lockout policies, it is imperative that you perform regular inspections to better recognize when changes need to be made to avoid faulty tagouts.
- Unsafe machine operation: While your workers may have undergone considerable training to become eligible to safely operate machinery, regular checks should be planned to guarantee that protective measures are being used by your employees to guard against cuts, flying debris or exposed rotation devices.
- Failure to communicate hazards: When your employees are working in close proximity to hazardous materials, you must disclose the danger in a way that is noticeable and informative. This type of awareness can help your employees make smarter decisions to keep them safe from harm.
By paying close attention to areas where common OSHA violations occur, you can be fully prepared to pass OSHA inspections with flying colors. For more information about workplace safety, visit our web page.