Billboard Insider prepared this table after reviewing OSHA inspections data involving out of home companies for the 2019-2021.
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 9 mos 2021 |
| Inspections | 24 | 20 | 12 |
| Violations | 21 | 16 | 7 |
| Initial Fines | $60,693 | $25,049 | $12,755 |
| Current Fines | $43,620 | $18,108 | $10,891 |
An inspection can happen to you. These out of home companies were inspected during 2020 and 2021
- Alliance Signs
- Bayou Signs
- Best Sign USA
- Bismark Sign Co
- Clear Channel Outdoor
- Dominion Sign Co
- Garris Signs
- Jones Sign Co
- K&K Development
- Key-Ads
- Lamar Advertising
- Norvell Signs
- Porter Advertising
- Sawyers Imaging
- Sign Designs
- Speed Quality Signs
- Superior Signs
- T. Hamm Sign
- Total Imaging
- Worth Higgins
We asked Formetco’s safety director Jim Poage to comment on OSHA inspection trends.
The first thing I notice about the information from the OSHA database search is the number of inspections performed. 2021 looks on track to be slightly higher than 2020, but 2019 looks to be the highest of the last three years. This is a little peculiar because it is a snapshot of the beginning, peak, and decline of the COVID pandemic impact on businesses, and yet OSHA continued to issue an increasing number of citations. I would guess that the inspectors had more available time to be in the field and billboard workers are an easy visual target to observe.
Second, there is an uptick in the number of investigations that were post-accident driven. OSHA utilizes a number of leading and lagging indicators to measure the probability of more accidents occurring and the potential for a fatality to happen. This means that OSHA now has the outdoor industry on their radar screen and is watching very closely for non-compliance with standards.
Third, most of the inspections and citations are for safety hazards or injuries involving fall protection issues. This has been the ongoing trend for many years in both general industry and construction environments. Fall hazards are the number one reason for OSHA citations in the workplace.
Formetco has a safety training seminar in 3 weeks. How can it help companies avoid worker injuries and OSHA fines?
The Formetco safety seminar is unlike any other training available in the industry. We will be conducting an OSHA 10-hour class that is geared towards the billboard industry. This class will educate the students on the standards that apply to their business as well as how to comply with these standards. When completed the attendee will receive an OSHA Outreach completion card from the federal government showing the training they have been part of. This is a valuable item to have when OSHA decides to do an inspection. There will be the opportunity to complete either a Qualified Climber Level I or II class. This program is unique to Formetco and demonstrates the required training element of a fall protection plan. Additionally, there will information on working with contractors, structure inspections, and networking with other billboard workers in the industry. There is also information on what to do if you are involved in an OSHA inspection. To learn more visit the Formetco Safety Training Seminar page.
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