GAO Says OSHA Needs Better Oversight of Fines
September 2nd, 2004 by Hal
Work Injury Free
The GAO just finished an investigation of OSHA. It concluded that fines are not imposed consistently and follow-up is lacking. John L. Henshaw, OSHA Deputy Secretary, responded saying,
"The agency needs some flexibility in assessing final penalties to reward the willingness of some employers to abate a hazard quickly and produce a safer workplace."
One finding showed big companies paid $1,097 more in fines than small companies. Yet small companies are more likely to ignore hazardous work situations.
BLR.com reported in OSHA Faulted on Oversight of Fine Calculations,
"The GAO reviewed audits from the five regions with the most inspections and discovered that some area offices miscalculated penalties and failed to conduct required follow-up inspections."
OSHA drives me crazy. Our industry (construction) is doing a terrible job with safety. Our friends are dying at a rate that far exceeds other industries. We've made virtually no progress in the last 12 years. We can stop this. We need to study the very best contractors and we need to impose stiff penalties on the worst. Nothing less than a change in our view on the situation will fix our problem. We need to cut our incidence rates by 75%. Is that possible? Not with the current thinking. But firms are doing exactly that. They are changing their approach and systems of planning by adopting a lean approach.
See the full text of the GAO Report on OSHA.
Read Safety Everyday's construction safety in the news sideblog.
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