OSHA was established to help create safer work environments. Businesses who fail to comply with OSHA regulations face hefty fines and worse.

Despite clear guidelines and training, some businesses still try to take an unethical approach to safety to save money and time. It’s not worth it. Instead, it’s always better to ensure compliance.

Why OSHA Compliance Matters

If you’re caught violating OSHA regulations, you will have to pay. Fines for serious violations cost $13,260 as of January 2019. Repeated or willful violations come with a $132,598 fine per violation. If a business fails to resolve an issue by the abatement date, they’ll pay an additional $13,260 per day.

Of course, you’ll want to comply with OSHA simply from an ethical standpoint. Keeping your employees safer leads to happier employees, fewer injuries and a great reputation.

Understanding Specific Guidelines

It’s important for every business to understand OSHA general guidelines and any that are specific to their industry. For instance, there are going to be different sets of rules for construction versus healthcare. The official OSHA website provides all the latest laws and regulations regarding the safety and health of employees.

Stay up to date on changing rules, search for industry-specific guidelines and find specific standards and how to comply. You can find both general and specific industry rules all in one place. Ensure your business has processes in place to meet all required guidelines.

Complying With General Responsibilities

Every employer is responsible for complying with certain key responsibilities as stated in the OSH Act. This includes not only complying with the rules, but ensuring they’re clearly posted for all employees to see. These regulations are in place to protect employees and employers. For instance, if an injury happens due to employee negligence, but the employer was following all OSHA rules, the employer isn’t to blame. OSHA also provides answers for better complying with rules and regulations along with how to go beyond basic compliance.

Requiring OSHA Training

One of the best ways to comply with OSHA is to provide regular training. While you as an employer may know what to do, employees might not. Something as simple as putting up a warning sign about a wet floor could save a life, but without training, an employee might forget to do it.

Many companies provide on-site OSHA training. Since employers are required by law to provide OSHA training, OSHA has provided details on how to train and where to get training.

Maintaining Compliance

Even with the best training and best intentions, it’s not always easy to comply with OSHA. When someone takes shortcuts for whatever reason, it puts everyone, including the business, at risk. Have an anonymous hotline in place for employees to report OSHA violations.

This allows employees to help maintain a much safer work environment. Plus, you’ll know about violations before OSHA gets involved so you can fix them. Also, inform employees about their rights, including being able to file complaints with OSHA. The safety of your employees should always be a top priority.