OSHA's Top Ten Violations

1.      Fall Protection

2.      Hazard Communication

3.      Scaffolding

4.      Respiratory Protection

5.      Ladders

6.      Machinery & Machine Guarding

7.      Powered Industrial Trucks

8.      Electrical – Wiring Methods

9.      Lockout/Tagout

10.  Electrical – General requirements.

While OSHA applies to businesses, there are preventive measures that homeowners can follow.  Businesses can and will incur hefty fines for violations and families can also incur fines from local governments for not obtaining permits or inspections when remodeling.  Lives are at stake for both businesses and families when ignoring proper safety precautions.  Let us review a few of OSHA’s ten.

Fall protection involves supervision of employees for safety compliance as well as “spotting” a family member while climbing on the roof.  Safety structures are used by businesses while families can use harnesses for fall protection.  When I climb on the roof I wear special shoes, harness myself to the chimney and my husband stays with me until I am finished.                

Case:  In Concord NH a worker fell from an unprotected mezzanine, once OSHA inspected the site, the employer was fined $589,200 for hazardous conditions relating to the fall.

Respiratory protection is vital to lung health.  The homeowner do-it-yourself insulation project can cause damage to the lungs if not wearing a mask during installation.  An employer working with carcinogenic flumes must wear special mask protection to ensure lung health.

Case:  A feed company in IL was fined $758,450 for failure to mandate dust collection units for their employees in areas of high exposure.

Machine guards are important when protecting your employees along with proper instruction for use of equipment.  Some equipment warrantees are voided when the guards are removed or not used.  Fingers, arms and sometimes the person can be pulled into a machine with devastating results.  Likewise, at home, if a guard is not in place on a saw you can lose a finger or several fingers. 

Case:  A worker was pulled into a machine used to manufacture hummus and was fatally crushed.  OSHA fined the company $702,300 for failure to train on safety measures with energy sources.

All of the above cases were preventable.  Precautions can be relatively inexpensive yet the failure to utilize them can be costly in the end.  It does take time to train about proper safety measures.  In the home and in the workplace the outcome is a safe environment and increased morale, which has been proven, creates a more productive group. 

While it stretches the imagination a bit to include families or home life in OSHA regulations and safety measures, you see how they can apply.  While I may not receive a violation or fine if I stick my finger in the intake on a food processor, it is possible for me to lose a finger.  In proper operation of the machine, food processor, as per the instructions my fingers stay attached to my hand.  OSHA Safety Guideline can be appropriate for families as well as employees.  While the consequences can be different for families, the outcome of a safe environment is the same. 

Let’s be safe out there. 

Source: Safety+Health December 2012