"Congress Turns Up The Heat" [on safety]

An article in "Human Resource Executive Online" reports that "the potential for criminal convictions and increased financial penalties for OSHA violations -- coupled with an increased funding for enforcement activities -- mean that companies need to refocus on their health-and-safety policies and procedures. An emphasis on recordkeeping is also a necessity."

If you have been in the safety field for some time (spanning Presidential administrations), you should have seen this coming. We all know that there is a shift when a new party is in the White House. Democrats are generally pro-labor and Republicans are generally pro-business. I know that this is a simplification, but we usually see a fortified focus on inspections when the Democrats are in the majority.

I was delighted to see a comment from Jason Schwartz, an attorney in Washington, that is very pro-safety professional. He said that "It is important to hire health and safety professionals who 'really understand the regulations.' This stuff is not easy; the OSHA regs are very dense."

Schwartz also suggests that you make sure that OSHA recordkeeping functions are conducted by someone who understands them. The new proposals of increased criminal penalties may make this a critical function.

Bottom Line? Be Prepared! If you would like to read the whole article, click here.