OSHA question for small shops<10 employees

How common are OSHA inspections, have any of you ever had to deal with them? I have a small shop, three full time workers plus my partner and I. I have been there for just shy of ten years(as an employee)and the only inspection we ever had was a fire inspector, it was a surprise visit and the only thing he didn't like was the chips in our lathe chip bed and we had a roll up door that is blocked and I had to mark it as blocked on the outside.

So today we had a salesman come by, he worked for a company that helps you get your business OSHA compliant. Some of the stuff he said made sense, like the forklift training, supposedly it is a $4000 fine for not having the proper training and paperwork. I did a quick google search for forklift training+arizona and found I could get my forklift driver training certificate by taking a 8hr class with a number of different govt agency's. He was also mentioning stuff like having proper labels on any liquid container, okay that wouldn't be so hard to do but I doubt you would be able to read any of my coffee cans filled with cutting oil after a week of it being touched by dirty hands, same for squirt bottles with coolant in em, I have them all over the place.

I'm not asking you guys to do my homework for me, we downloaded a big .pdf from OSHA and I have some reading to do, but I am just curious of what you guys do to protect yourself and what kind of experiences with OSHA if any, that you may have.


p.s. he wanted 4000 to get started and then a yearly fee of 1900, seems kinda high to me, but I haven't got to far into the pdf yet.

Call your insurance company, and ask if they know of a state program or if they have a program themselves to do the same thing. In PA there is a college (Indiana University of PA) who will come to your shop and prepare you for an OSHA inspection for FREE. It's funded by the state with tax money. Some states do this, some don't. I had them in, and it was quite educational. Didn't cost me a lot to get into good condition in case OSHA ever comes around.

With that small of a shop you should never get inspected by OSHA.

OSHA also has a program to make you compliant and allows you to raise their flag on your pole, but it is time consuming and expensive.

Most likely if you do get inspected you should be fine if you are using common sense with shop safety. Things like hammer with PVC handles, punches with a 3 inch long mushroom.

Death at the workshop will most lkely call for inspection and serious injury will raise an eyebrow.

Your chances of inspection also depends on the equipment you have. A shop with 25 huge puch presses will be slated for inspection way before a Garage shop with 3 fulltime employees running 3 sandblasters.

A couple little tidbits: If you have any safety policys/practices that going above OSHA regs then you have to comply because they can write you up for breaking your own code even if you are not breaking code.

Recordable injuries have to be reported yearly to OSHA.

Death must be reported within 24 hours (I think, it may be 7 days).

OSHA is easy going and usually do not bother the small guys unless a complaint or your operations are inherently dangerous.

I would suggest you buy an OSHA code manual. Very good reading and easy to understand. I would also recommend an MSDS station which is mandatory, as well as lock out/ tag out/and Risk assesment.

Remember as the employer you are liable for everything. If you set policy then you are liable to make sure that you staff complies.

I have been OSHA certified for several years. I have learnt alott threw becoming more safety oriented.

Another thing you can do is open up your yellow pages to Safety Consultants and find one that offer a course in OSHA inspection. I paid 500 dollars for my certificate and it was money well spent. Upon completion I also got the newest OSHA code book. And a niffty little OSHA card.
Oh Yeah the certification expires now every couple of years. Luckily I got mine before they changed the rulse and I am certified for life.

Another resource may be your local library. They very well may have a copy of the OSHA manual.

As to forklift training and certification:Check with any of your lift dealers, as most offer group courses at their dealership for classroom and hands on training with a written test and certification. Some of the community colleges offer the same. Our dealership offered these group classes for less than $75.00 per person.Usually 4 to 8 hr. sessions.

Excellent replies so far, Thank you

Osha

In Oregon OSHA inspectors are are so overloaded that it just about takes a complaint from an employee to warrant one. But be aware that they seldom actualy do an inspection without finding things wrong and levying fines. Trying to avoid inspection at all is your best bet, as once on your property, the inspecters can go anywhere and check anything and they won't leave without finding violations. The guy that's trying to bleed you won't do you any good that you can't accomplish yourself by studying the pdf you have and calling OSHA anonamously with questions. (no need to draw their attention to your shop)

We invite osha every year, he walks thru the shop, makes a few notes, and asks a few questions. When he is done we meet in the office, he explains what he would like to see improved, we talk over how long it will take and he leaves. When we have completed the things we need to fix, I take digital pics and email them to him, sighn the paper that says we did it and it is all done. Six months later I invite our insurance company to send their guy over and do almost the same thing. I think it takes a couple of hours and sometimes a bit of cash, but it is my feeling that injuries are the result of problems that evolve over time and are not intentional, and a set of fresh eyes can point out a few of these and save a lot of trouble later. One workers comp claim can use up a lot more time and money than prevention. The employees see the osha guy come thru, we meet with them the day after and explain what he said, and what their part is and they seem to be more safety consious as a result. I highly recomend this action, The osha guy only can help you if you invite him, if you wait untill something goes bad he can fine you alot.
mark

To be more specific.

OSHA can audit you whenever they want. You can not turn them away however you can make it a very inconvienient audit for them.

Someone said that once they are on your property they can do whatever they want.

This is true to some extent. You can not deny them the audit. You do have the right to escort them to the areas that they wish to inspect. The route that you take to get them to that area is up to you. You can take them out the front door around the back of the building. Find out that that is a no entry door. Bring them back to the front lead them threw the mens bathroom, totaly bypassing the torch bottles leaning against the electrical panel, end up with a 45 min walk to the bench grinder that an employee complained about.

Also beware that they are not allowed to begin there audit untill you accept to take part of the opening meeting. Once they inform you that they are starting the open meeting and you say OK then game is on the have to comply.

They are also not to look in certain areas such as inside a workers personal tool boxes.

You can of course deny them entry. They then can to the courthouse and get a warrant and then they will be pissed.

If you are faced with a surprise audit and you are really worried. Get on the phone and get a safety consultant down there to represent you. Yes he maybe costly but not as much as some of the fines.

Example= punch with mushroomed head 5000 dollars.

You need MSDS sheets for every chemical in your facility, in a location known to all employees. Look up "Employee Right to Know Law". Also as someone mentioned, "lock out tag out". Every chemical container does need a label. You can buy the proper labels at McMaster, MSC, Global Industrial, etc.
The fines can be huge, as a serious infraction can result in a fine of $10k/day/employee exposed to the hazard. Get the standards and study them. If the inspector has been there once, they will most likely be back again sometime down the road.

Here in Washington (state) we have WISHA. Most states have taken over the function of OSHA. I once was fined over $25,000.00. Once corrections were made it was reduced to a fraction of that. I could not argue with any of it - it was all pretty ligit. Damaged electrical cords, lack of proper guarding on machines, unsafe storage of chemicals, fuels and gases, unsafe wiring, lack of lock-out systems on machines etc. etc. etc.

Here, if they come out by invitation, they WILL NOT issue citations or fines, but you will be given a reasonable time to make corrections. They will give you lots of good advice. Once you've lived with an unsafe condition for awhile, you don't even SEE it.

Grant
"it's not really an optical illusion............it just looks like one"

OSHA is a self funding organization
they pay there wages with fines
if they come to your shop for a day......you will get fined
if they are there 2 days......you'll get fined double

they came to my place
i was fined 1000 for not having written proceeder on not drinking the soap
and 3000 for 4 unattached receptacles (4x4 box on end of so cord)

2 men 2 days,500 a day to cover wages and travel
just about what a plumber gets

if someone calls a complaint
they will come someday

your insurance man will do what ever that bozo will do

for free

I bet someone could make a few bucks if they wrote a book: "The complete
list of OSHA fines". Very cut and dry

1. Mushroomed punch $5000
2. Eating soap $1000

Maybe there is a list on the web? Anyone feel like starting one?

Stay safe.

As above suggested, I highly recommend having OSHA do an invited audit or your state do one. NY has a good program, they are very accomidating and helpful. This is all a hassle but I am just old enough to see what the pre-osha shops were like. Accidents waiting to happen everywhere. Did I tell you about the time I worked in a paper mill and to paint the inside of a 3 foot deep tank with rubber paint they were tieing a rope around a guys waist, letting him paint until he passed out from the fumes then pulled him out and sent another guy down. How about the press that you turned on by reaching into its throat and plugging in a female plug, it into or onto a hot protruding male plug, when you did the press would free cycle. When I complained I was told that no one has been hurt in some time by it and just be careful. Or about the sheet metal shop where the foreman warned that the next guy to loose a finger would be fired, or ....................................

Every thing that is said is very good for you. Haven't seen one in years Construction field. One thing I do is tell my employees that if one shows up. Is to put everything away as fast and safe as they can and go home. That way they can't see or talk to them. Like anything that you feel is safe but they would have a fit about. I would be more than happy to pay there wages for the day Cheaper. They love paperwork and most fine come out of it!
David/Toledo

I have never had to deal with them concerning my own workspace but my neighbor did, after a complaint, and the folks from the OSHA office were pleasant and professional, offered advice freely, and were very helpful. Changes were made and digital pictures seemed good enough proof.

IF they show up, you CAN and SHOULD politely tell them to call and set an appointment to come back for inspecton. You do not have to let them in unannounced. WE dont see many of them around these parts, cause everybody has firearms :p
Jim

I’m in Washington State as well. I went the WISHA voluntary route. Got Pat Maheney. Great guy. It was kind of a hassle but worth it.

Right now I am doing o.k. If I have a good fire, a major lawsuit or something similar I am an old, out of work, broke guy.

It helped a lot when I decided I wanted to make as much money with as few people and as little equipment as possible.

Tom

I've been told I'm exempt

My shop is a one man operation (me) with no employees. I've always understood that OSHA didn't apply till you had four (4) employees.
Anybody know for certain on this? We seem to have several here on this thread that are quite knowledgeable on OSHA.
Dave

enginebuilder said:

IF they show up, you CAN and SHOULD politely tell them to call and set an appointment to come back for inspecton. You do not have to let them in unannounced. WE dont see many of them around these parts, cause everybody has firearms :p
Jim

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The strategy for this is to have a written visitor policy, and have it POSTED. State in that policy that agents of government agencies MUST meet with the owner before being allowed entry to the facility, and state where they must wait until meeting with the owner because if they see anything obvious from where they are standing, they can inspect it. Make sure every employee understands the policy. The OSHA agents (and others, like police w/o warrants, EPA, etc) are requiired to follow this written posted policy. This means they can't come in when you are not there. And they must reschedule and come back if you request it, this gives you time to do emergency repairs, etc before the inspection. If they come in, you WILL get fines, that's how they pay for their operating expenses as stated by WB. The game is to keep them as low as possible by limiting what they can find.

dirty old man said:

My shop is a one man operation (me) with no employees. I've always understood that OSHA didn't apply till you had four (4) employees.
Anybody know for certain on this? We seem to have several here on this thread that are quite knowledgeable on OSHA.
Dave

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If you have no employees, OSHA doesn't apply to you. As the owner, you can run an unguarded punch press while intoxicated inside a meth lab and OSHA can't cite you. In fact, there are areas in my shops that are locked and posted No Admittance that only I can enter and I can do anything hazardous I want there as long as no one else can get in.