2009 promises to be even more expensive for contractors

 

Don’t let anyone try to tell you that there’s nothing to fear from OSHA until the new administration makes changes to the agency sometime next year.

 

Instead, let’s look at what OSHA’s been doing over the last 12 months.  In fiscal year 2008 (Oct. 2007 through September 2008), it conducted 26,679 inspections and issued 102,869 citations for a total of $92.6 million in penalties.

 

That’s a lot of fines.

 

And whatever was collected last year is poised to go up under a new administration that has promised to “invigorate OSHA.”

 

That means the standards that cost companies a lot in 2008 will be more expensive in the coming year.

 

What Inspectors Look For
Where are companies running afoul of OSHA’s standards? 

 

Here are the top 10 OSHA standards for violations:

1. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (1926.451)
2. Fall protection, construction (1926.501)
3. Hazard communication standard, general industry (1910.1200)
4. Control of hazardous energy, (lockout/tagout), general industry (1910.147)
5. Respiratory protection, general industry (1910.134)
6. Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry (1910.305)
7. Powered industrial trucks, general industry (1910.178)
8. Ladders, construction (1926.1053)
9. Machines, general requirements, general industry (1910.212), and
10. Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (1910.303)

 

The top 10 list of standards that OSHA issued the most expensive fines for included many of those in the previous list, plus:

• Electrical, hazardous (classified) locations (1910.307)
• Excavations, requirements for protective systems, construction (1926.652)
• General duty clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act)
• Walking-working surfaces, general requirements (1910.22), and
• Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (1910.119)

 

More information is available at www.osha.gov/pls/imis/citedstandard.html.