OSHA targeting severe violators

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state safety and health agencies are quickly getting up to speed on OSHAs new Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). Multi-location employers need to realize that a citation at one location will be counted against them at other locations. Employers designated as severe violators are added to a national list. The SVEP program gives the government extra enforcement authority, such as initiating inspections at multiple facilities on its own initiative, demanding quarterly reports on injuries and illnesses, and requiring the hiring of safety and health consultants. Information will be shared between federal OSHA and state safety and health agencies, with national enforcement coordinated by OSHA at the highest levels. The program took effect on June 18, 2010. For more information, talk with your Vigilant safety professional, and review OSHAs enforcement directive (CPL 02-00-149).

Tips: If OSHA or your state safety and health agency issues a citation at your facility, contact your Vigilant safety professional immediately, and pay attention to the deadline for appealing the citation. The notice will warn you if the citation has been designated as a severe violator enforcement case. Each citation is of critical importance, especially since under OSHAs new approach to calculating penalties, the agency looks back at the employers history of citations from the past five years (instead of three).