$7K Average penalty cost for failing an OSHA inspection.
Preparing for an OSHA Compliance Inspection
Over the last year and a half, essential businesses in agricultural and food manufacturing have faced many challenges, not the least of which was a pandemic. Through it, all hospitality, foodservice, and retail business continued to operate heroically. As a result of the pandemic, OSHA managed much of its work from afar. In many instances, investigations were conducted telephonically or by email. Site visits were limited to the most severe cases of imminent danger situations. The total number of inspections dropped from a five-year average of over 33,000, to under 22,000 for FY 2020. Programmed inspections fell from an average of 14,500 to less than 9,000. There were similar drops in unprogrammed inspections, complaint inspections, and referrals. The outlier was fatality and catastrophe inspections, those dramatically increased from an annual average of 900 to over 1,500.
As we move into a new normal, OSHA is once again conducting on-site inspections. The following guidelines are geared to help employers assess their programs for OSHA compliance and in turn reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. There are three steps to this process: exposure assessment, gap analysis, and updating and implementing changes in training and programs.
