Employers Have 15 Working Days to Contest a Citation but Have the Option to Negotiate a Settlement with OSHA Before That Deadline
What happens if OSHA issues a citation and you do not agree with any or all of it? You have 15 working days from the date you receive the citation to contest in writing the citation, proposed penalty, and/or the abatement date. The Informal Conference Option Before formally contesting a citation, employers may request an informal conference with OSHA within the 15-working-day period to discuss any issues related to the citation. Employers often use these informal conferences to negotiate the settlement of a citation before resorting to legal remedies in a formal contest. During an informal conference, employers can plead their case and defenses to OSHA in an effort to negotiate a settlement in which OSHA: Vacates a cited violation; Lowers the classification of a violation; Decreases the penalty amount assessed; Bundles multiple violations into one; and/or Extends abatement dates. Filing a Notice of Intent to Contest Should you fail to reach a settlement in the inf...