OSHA Fines

OSHA fines cost companies millions of dollars every year. Often times, smaller business, with only a few employees feel as though they can get around the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's standards and regulations. This is just not true. Many smaller companies find themselves with pretty hefty fines, because of their failure to comply with OSHA regulations. Most violations of OSHA's Regulations fall under pretty general categories of standards. Here are the most common violations and fines that many businesses find themselves receiving.

Hazard communications is a fairly common violation. This violation usually comes with an average OSHA fine of $281.00. The most common reasons for this penalty are often attributed to businesses lacking lists of the hazardous materials that are being used or the list is not posted in plain sight for all to see. Another contributing factor is improper use of protective clothing or lack of protective clothing.

It surprising how many companies each year find themselves fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, because they lack proper safety training for their employees. Training can seem like a waste of time and money, but if it is not done correctly it will end up costing the company even more money. The average OSHA fine for training usually runs about $447.00 per person who is not trained properly.

Many companies fail to provide the proper head protection for their employees. When people are working in construction or heavy industry, head injuries can happen very easily. Not only can an employee be put out of work for a long time from a head injury but sometimes even death can be a result. This OSHA fine comes with a pretty large price tag. The average cost of this citation is about 511.00 per person without proper head protection.

Ladder safety is often times over looked within small businesses. A ladder must always be in perfect condition before a staff member is allowed to use it. Many people often work while standing on a ladder. This is not what a ladder is supposed to be used for. It is meant to get a person from one place to another. This citation will cost your company about $698.00.

Many people are hurt each year because of improper use of aerial lifts. Any person using an aerial lift must be qualified and certified. Ariel lifts are only to be used for what they are meant for. Using them for shortcuts is a sure fire way for a person to hurt. An average OSHA fine for improper use of an aerial lift cost most companies about $961.00.

A person who is injured because of a fall can easily be killed. That is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration take fall protection so seriously and so should you. There are many different standards that apply to fall protection so make sure you and your staff are well trained on these standards. The average fine for fall protection cost about $1,160.00.

So many people each year are injured and killed on the job. Many of these injuries and deaths could have been easily avoided if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations had been followed. Some of the most common citations are things that can easily be fixed, but end up costing companies millions of dollars each year, because they fail to do so. If you are an employer and you think because you only have a few employees you are above OSHA standards, think again. Many small businesses find themselves with large OSHA fines, because they fail to follow OSHA's safety requirements.