Geosynthetics August/September 2022 - 9

around $7,000 per violation discovered.
Willful, repeat or severe negligence situations
can expect $50,000 to $70,000 fines being levied.
Of course, these fines are negotiable and
rarely does a company pay the full amount,
but it hurts all the same. How many additional
sales dollars do you have to produce
to pay for $50,000 in violations? Do the math.
The details
Here is how the consultation service works.
First, it should be noted that the consultation
side is not allowed to discuss your case
with the enforcement side. In most states,
they are completely separate entities. In fact,
many states contract with local universities
to conduct the consulting services.
Step One
Contact your local consultative service program
either by phone or email. The best way
to locate your local office is to look on the
OSHA.gov website and click on the " Help
and Resources " tab. You will a link to the
Consultation Services program. Again, each
state handles this a little differently. Once you
have made contact, you set up an appointment
for the initial meeting.
Step Two
This is the on-site visit. The consultant will
sit down with you and explain the program
and what they will be looking for during the
visit. They will explain their separation from
the enforcement side of OSHA and clarify
expectations from both sides. Then they
will complete the walk-through survey and
gather information for their report. At the
close of the day, they will discuss some of the
things they discovered. Both sides will discuss
reasonable timelines for cleaning up the
issues discovered during the walk-through.
Step Three
The consultants will formalize the report
and document the agreed-upon action steps.
They may also provide some research and
statistical data to help you justify the work
you are doing to make your workplace safe.
By the way, this information can be very
helpful when negotiating insurance rates.
Step Four
The company must correct any situation that
poses imminent danger or is a severe OSHA
violation. Other recommendations must
be implemented within the agreed-upon
timeline. Hazards must be posted where
employees can see them until the problem
is corrected. Part of the enforcement exemption
is the understanding that you will comply
with the recommendations.
Be proactive
The best thing about this program is that
you will be providing a safe work environment
for the people who work with you
and for you. As a bonus, you block out the
enforcement side. Once you contact the
consultation service folks, the enforcement
people can't touch you for at least a year . So
here is a little advice. A sizable accident or a
string of claims can trigger an OSHA audit.
If you think you may be getting a visit, call
the consulting services folks.
Once you get involved with the consulting
side, you essentially drop off the
enforcement radar. The only catch is that
you must clean up what the consultants find.
But this is a small price to pay considering
the alternative.
No decent business owner wants to see
his or her employees get injured on the job.
When someone goes down, the rest of the
team has to step up and cover the work.
Additionally, we owners have typically
developed relationships with the people who
have made us successful over the years. They
become a part of our family. It is unsettling
to the whole team when a member of that
family sustains a serious injury-especially
if it was avoidable.
I know the thought of inviting OSHA
into your facility is slightly uncomfortable,
but this is one government program I would
take a hard look at. If anything, it might just
prompt you to become more safety conscious
in the future. Good luck. G
GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
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Geosynthetics August/September 2022

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