Whenever we talk about disasters in workplace businesses are always shocked and distributed. All these reactions most focus on the workers who are sick, injured or their family dead. But, when you take this expression into the count, the question starts to arise for any company. How did this happen? What was the cause for it and who is responsible? Could it have been avoided? Which inspection team was monitoring the safety of the manufacturing site?
Regulatory Inspections for Employee Safety
It comes as no surprise that businesses now a days need a regular inspection on a consistent basis for improving the safety of employees. Inspection is an important part of any health and safety program.
Some of the main activities included in the inspection are:
- Gaining understanding about various jobs and tasks ‘
- Analyzing and monitoring hazard controls
- Recommendation about corrective action
- Listening to the concerns of supervisors and workers
- Determining the underlying causes of hazard
- Identifying existing and potential hazards
Many regulatory inspections start with a opening conference, in this, a compliance officer meets the management of the company and select the employees to explain to them the purpose and procedure of the inspection. After that, the inspection compliance officer and some selected representatives of the organization will conduct an inspection on the manufacturing site, conducting inspection about hazards which can further lead to employee injury or illness and will point out towards potential violations which are needed to be modified.
Last but not least, the inspection company officer will meet the owner of the import company in a closing conference to talk about the findings of the inspection, the actions which are needed to be taken which complies with the OSHA standards, and any penalties occurred. If the company is found to be violating any rules will have to pay the penalty and the deadlines are given substandard working conditions, with a threat for further consequences for non-compliance. The import company does not have any right, to appeal to this inspection, in most cases, it is resolved by negotiating settlement terms.
Some of the import companies are concerned about the organizational costs involved with potential and compliance fines. According to a recent study, that have been found in a 3 year follow up, inspections of import companies have decreased accidents and injuries by an average of 23% in various import companies. Random inspections have also led to an increase in safety measures as well. Another project conducted by the California division of occupational safety and health reported that companies opting for random inspections have experienced a decline of 9% in work related injuries in the last four years after inspection, and the reported injuries have fallen down to 26%. There are several factors which dictate the standard procedure:
- Previous incidents
- New machinery or processes
- The type of equipment and work process
- State and federal legislation
- The number and sizes of different work operations
Conclusion
If employees believe that there is any safety-related hazard they should conduct the inspection on the work site and ask that particular organization to pay the fine for not following OSHA standards. Other than, raising the concern to the management one of the best thing is to file the complaint and ask the OSHA to inspect the workplace. Moreover, all the individual of the organizations can do it , with the help of union representative, or by hiring the attorney if they ask the OSHA not to reveal their complaint in public.
Following the important steps for regulatory inspections is important for maintaining the high-level of the organization. But, what happens when the safety inspection is not conducted , the companies tend to ignore it and thus leading to more serious hazards.
