An important step for new businesses is to make sure that they are in compliance with OSHA guidelines and doing everything possible to keep workers safe. Christina Hsu at FindLaw.com has put together a nice primer on OSHA regulations for new businesses.

From the article:

Be familiar with OSHA guidelines. As an employer, you need to be sure that you are following OSHA guidelines, which are federal law. In particular, you need to be able to know what guidelines and regulations are applicable to your workplace, and have copies available for employees who request them.

Keep records of injuries and illnesses. Businesses with 11 employees or more at any time during a calendar year are required to keep records of occupational injuries and illnesses. Some businesses are not required to keep records, such as those in retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate and service industries.

Display OSHA’s Safe and Healthful workplaces poster. Employers are required to post this poster, or its state equivalent, somewhere where employees can look over the information.

Inform employees about hazardous chemicals. If your business uses hazardous chemicals, you need to inform your employees about these hazards and train them on proper safeguards.

Remember also that your business is subject to inspection. Employees have the right to contact a local or state OSHA office to request an inspection if there is a hazard or danger in the workplace.

Read more.

Submitted by Andrew Fatato

The Center for Public Integrity is currently producing a series of articles investigating incidents at workplaces deemed by OSHA to be safe. The series is a fascinating look into how workplaces, even those that seem to be following all regulations, can still pose a risk to workers, suggesting the need for further precautions.

From the most recent article:

On a December night in 2009, something went wrong with boiler B28 at Valero’s oil refinery in Texas City, Texas. Technician Tommy Manis and his co-workers weren’t sure just what it was. They had tried more than a dozen times to get the boiler started. They weren’t aware of the dangerous levels of gas building up inside, ready to ignite.

Manis had never worked on B28 before. His job took him to different parts of the plant, so he may not have known the boiler’s history: During the previous 15 months, there had been two explosions inside its hulking furnace. After the second, Valero determined gas had built up and ignited. Now, with Manis and his co-workers nearby, gas again flowed unchecked into the boiler.

Oil refineries are inherently dangerous, and the industry’s record of failing to curb hazards prompted the federal government in 2007 to start subjecting them to more intense scrutiny in a special enforcement program. But Tommy Manis and his wife, Laura, trusted that this refinery was safer. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the nation’s chief overseer of worker safety, had formally certified the Valero refinery as a “model workplace” with an exemplary record and an impeccable safety program exceeding that required by regulators.

Continue reading.

Submitted by Andrew Fatato