Compliance Stuff

The U.S. Department of Labor just overhauled OSHA’s penalty guidelines to give small employers and safety-conscious businesses a financial break. Effective immediately, the new policy: significantly increases penalty reductions for  small businesses offers new incentives for employers who  quickly fix hazards rewards companies with  clean safety records However, the agency still made clear in Monday’s announcement that it will maintain enforcement authority and hold employers accountable if they maintain unsafe work conditions, so yesterday’s news isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card . Here’s what employers need to know, and five steps you can take to position yourself for this new development. What Changed The new policy, issued July 14, updates Chapter 6 of OSHA’s  Field Operations Manual  (“ Penalties and Debt Collection ”) and includes three major penalty reduction opportunities: Small Business Relief Employers with  25 or fewer employees  are now eli...

Penalty adjustments aim to improve workplace safety WASHINGTON  – The U.S. Department of Labor has updated its guidance on penalty and debt collection procedures in the  Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Field Operations Manual  in an effort to minimize the burden on small businesses and increase prompt hazard abatement. “All employers should be offered the opportunity to comply with regulations that help maintain a safe working environment,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “Small employers who are working in good faith to comply with complex federal laws should not face the same penalties as large employers with abundant resources.  By lowering penalties on small employers, we are supporting the entrepreneurs that drive our economy and giving them the tools they need to keep our workers safe and healthy on the job while keeping them accountable.”  The new policy,  outlined in the Penalties and Debt Collection section of OSHA...