Recordkeeping checks coming back
July 1, 2009 by Fred HosierPosted in: OSHA news, Recordkeeping, Special Report, enforcement, inspections
For the last eight years, OSHA has de-emphasized recordkeeping inspections. That’s about to change.
OSHA is preparing a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on recordkeeping. Its targets:
- Companies in high-injury industries with low injury rates. OSHA will check to see that records match reality.
- Incentive programs that encourage employees not to report injuries. Example: The unit with the lowest injury rate for the quarter will win prizes or get a special financial reward.
- Disincentives to report injuries. Example: Workers who report injuries are disciplined or fired.
Speaking at the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Safety 2009 conference in San Antonio, acting OSHA administrator Jordan Barab said the agency isn’t opposed to incentive programs, as long as the incentives are for proactive measures.
Barab said he’s somewhat skeptical of behavioral programs that always blame workers for incidents and injuries.
In an interview with SafetyNewsAlert.com after his speech, Barab pointed to the 2005 BP Texas City, TX, disaster in which 15 employees were killed and 170 were injured in an explosion. Barab said the first thing BP did was to fire a bunch of workers “when that was only the tip of the iceberg,” according to an investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
On another topic, Barab said OSHA isn’t eliminating the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). However, he added that the days of OSHA forming alliances with various industry groups instead of enacting new or revising existing standards are over.
When will OSHA have a permanent administrator? Barab said at this point, it looks like it will be fall at the earliest. However, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has told Barab not to wait. When Barab took the position as interim head of OSHA, Solis told him to go full speed ahead on her workplace safety agenda, which includes vigorous enforcement and enactment of new standards. Barab will assume the No. 2 position at OSHA once a permanent administrator is confirmed.
Barab said OSHA will react quickly to injury trends, such as moving inspectors to Texas, starting in July, to counter the high number of construction fatalities in the state (see our earlier story here). “A SWAT team of OSHA inspectors will fan out over Texas,” Barab said, to visit sites in locales where construction fatalities and injuries have been a particular problem.
Check back with SafetyNewsAlert.com often this week for updates from the ASSE Safety 2009 conference.
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Tags: ASSE, Hilda Solis, Jordan Barab, OSHA NEP, OSHA recordkeeping
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July 2nd, 2009 at 8:54 am
The fact that OSHA has announced its intentions to increase inspectors in TX makes me think of the days when the local news will announce a “special enforcement” weekend on the local highway to catch speeders. Everyone slows down for a few days but come Monday its back to the norm. Hopefully this doesn’t happen in TX.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
One question: And why just Texas?
July 6th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Just another “Business is Bad” power grab bashing party by the Obama “Hate America” crowd again…..
“SWAT Team” of inspectors…..do we have that Safety Czar hired yet? All the inspector generals are being fired in haste so there will be no oversight of this effort – by anyone – certainly none from Congress.
So, what about the illegal alien workers? Will OSHA again be instructed to look the other way again? Probably – hard to fix the elections without them.
OSHA will find this effort unsustainable using due process because they are so innefficient making Obama more likely to violate another part of the constitution so he can impose immediate fines and payment to feed and maintain the rabid excesses of the enforcers…er… inspectors…..
Will the SWAT Team be recruited from Acorn, SEIU or the American Communist Party? Heck the new energy cap/tax bill allows inspectors to inspect “any” (not just new) home now for energy efficiency…..so why shouldn’t this invasive intrusive enforcement effort at scaring the public into submission be any different?
If Obama (communists) only meant what they said and practiced what they preached it might be a different story – but it is simply about power and control not safety.
Laugh it up now, but you’ll be crying or soiling your pants when you realize it later…
July 6th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Barab’s skeptical of employee’s being blamed?!?! It is a known fact that the majority of workplace accidents are due to unsafe behaviors or acts. We have programs at our plant where we pay monthly safety bonus for departments that have no recoradables, we also encourage our employees to report any unsafe condition, or acts and we reward the department with the highest # of suggestions to correct. It is not the intent to ever lay blame on an employee for an unsafe act, no matter how stupid the act was, but let’s get real here. OSHA’s out for $$$
July 7th, 2009 at 1:00 am
I just don’t understand why this Administration is so hell bent on destroying business. Where do they expect their tax dollars to come from. None of the so call “stimulus” jobs are providing any long term employement. A “project” such as providing a tunnel under the highway for turtles will employ a few people for a few weeks, then back to the unemployment lines. It takes a bonefide business that is producing a saleable product to provide long term employment and get our economy back.
But how could you expect a bunch of lawyers to know that!
July 7th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I think American businesses were hurting long before Obama took office!
Back on topic, OSHA seemes to be targeting TX because of articles like this…
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/occupational-health-news-roundup-114/