INDIANAPOLIS (September 13, 2016) – First, the scary news: safety fines are stiffer, federal enforcement is more aggressive, and recordkeeping is more difficult.
But the good news: there is a clear path to preventing loss, controlling costs, protecting workers, and complying with safety regulations.
The main take-away from OAAA’s day-long safety seminar is that safety pays; ignoring safety is expensive and hurtful.
“Defenses cannot be established once OSHA (federal enforcement agency) has arrived,” cautioned attorney Carla J. Gunnin of Jackson Lewis, Atlanta. “Preparation is key.”
Federal labor rules are changing. Effective August 1, 2016, penalties increased dramatically.
New rules create new challenges for employers’ record-keeping. Occupational safety lawyer James Curtis of Seaforth Shaw, Chicago, offered practical steps, such as:
- Document that discipline is for safety violation, not injury
- Have written policies and documented training if employees work in extreme heat or cold
- Incentivize compliance and training, rather than non-reporting of injuries or illness
Click here for Curtis’ presentation.
Billboard companies – large and small – made the case that investment in safety is a good return on investment.
Chris Zukin of Meadow Outdoor Advertising, The Dalles, OR, said safety-first steps earned his company a double-digit reduction in workers’ compensation premiums.
Vince Miller of DDI Media, St. Louis, said safety expense for his 15-person department adds $1,333 per employee a year (separate from capital expenditures for catwalks, safety cables and walk-arounds). Safety outlays, he said, pale in comparison to risk exposure.
Key elements to a successful program, Miller said, are:
- Top-down commitment
- Bottom-up buy in
- If you talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk
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