Occupational Health and
Safety Law Basics
MaggieLeland
WashingtonStateDepartmentofLaborandIndustries
DivisionofOccupationalSafetyandHealth
[email protected] 3609024504
November4,2011
ABALaborandEmploymentLawConference
OSH ACT and OSHA Standards
OccupationalHealth&SafetyAct(OSHAct) 29USC651
– OSHActcoversallemployersandtheiremployeesinthe50states,the
DistrictofColumbia,PuertoRico,andallUSterritories
– CoverageisprovidedbyfederalOSHAorthroughanOSHAapproved
stateprogram
– PrivateemployerscoveredbyfederalOSHA,somestateplanscovers
privateandpublicemployers
– Doesnotcoverworkingconditionsregulatedbyotherfederalagencies
underfederalstatute
OccupationalHealth&SafetyAdministration(OSHA) 29CFR
1910
– Primaryregulatoryfunctions:setstandardsandconductinspections
OSHA State Plans
27approvedstateplans– mustbeatleastaseffectiveas
federalOSHA
Connecticut,Illinois,NewJersey,andNewYorkcoverpublicsectoremploymentonly
Employer Responsibilities
• CompliancewithOSHAstandards
• Keepasafeworkplace “GeneralDutyClause”
– 29USC651§ 5(a)(1)“…keepplaceofemploymentfreefromrecognized
hazardsthatarecausingorlikelytocauseseriousphysicalharm”
– Situationswhereaspecificstandarddoesnotexist
• Recordkeeping
– OSHA300logforoccupationalinjuries&illnesses
• Reportfatalitiesandhospitalizations
• Providerequiredsafetyequipment
• Provideinformation/posting
• Can’tretaliateordiscriminateagainstemployeeswho
exercisetheirrightsundertheOSHAct
Types OSHA standards
Industrycategories
– GeneralIndustry
– Maritime
– Construction
– Agriculture
• Specificationstandards:detailprecisemethodfor
compliance
• Performancestandards:methodtoachievecomplianceup
totheemployer
Compliance Issues for Health Standards
• Limitsforexposurestospecificchemicalandphysicalhazards
– PermissibleExposureLimits(PELs),ShortTermExposureLimits
(STELs),Ceilinglimits
• Exposuremonitoring
– Initialandperiodicmonitoringtodeterminepresenceand
concentrationofchemicalorphysicalhazards
• MedicalExaminationsandmedicalsurveillance
– Providedatnocosttoemployees
• Controlofexposuresusinghierarchyofcontrols
– Engineeringandadministrativecontrolsmustbeusedtocontrol
exposurestoextentfeasible
– Personalprotectiveequipmentsuchasrespiratorsorhearing
protectionaretobeusedonlywhenengineeringandadministrative
controlsfailtoreduceexposuresbelowpermissiblelevels
Multi-employer Worksites
CPL20.134
• Creatingemployer
– Theemployerwhocreatedthehazardmaybecitedevenwhentheyhaveno
employeesexposed
• Exposingemployer
– Theemployerwhoseemployeesareexposedtothehazardmaybecitedeven
whentheydidnotcreatethehazard
• Correctingemployer
– Theemployerwhohasresponsibilityforcorrectingahazardmaybecited
evenwhentheyhavenoemployeesexposed
• Controllingemployer
– Anemployerwhoisresponsible,bycontractorthroughtheexerciseof
controlinpractice,forthesafetyandhealthconditionsonaworksitemaybe
citedfortheviolationofanotheremployer
– i.e.Generalcontractorofconstructionprojectcitedforviolationof
subcontractor
Inspections
• Authoritytoinspect
– Noadvancednotice
– Consent,warrant,orwarrantexception
• Priorities
– Imminentdanger
– Fatalityandcatastropheinvestigations
– Complaintsandreferrals
– Programmedinspections
– Followup/monitoringinspections
• Phone/faxinspections
Programmed Inspections/Enforcement Policies
• Site– SpecificTargeting(SST)
– Highhazardindustrieswithaboveaverageinjuryandillnessrates
– Establishmentswith20ormoreemployees
– Radomselectionforinspection
• NationalEmphasisPrograms(NEPs)– targethighriskhazards
andindustries
– Recordkeeping
– ChromiumVI,Combustibledust,lead,silica
– Amputation
– Trenching/excavation
– PetroleumRefineryProcessSafetyManagement
– ChemicalFacilitiesProcessSafetyManagement
Programmed Inspections/Enforcement Policies
SevereViolatorEnforcementProgram(SVEP)CPL0200149
– Focusenforcementeffortsonemployerswhohavedemonstrated
indifferencetotheirOSHActobligationsbywillful,repeated,orfailure
toabateviolations
– Criteriaincludesfatalityorcatastrophesituation,exposuretosevere
occupationalhazardsand"HighEmphasisHazards”,exposuresto
hazardsrelatedtothepotentialreleaseofahighlyhazardouschemical,
oregregiousenforcementactions
– SVEPactions
• Followupinspectionconducted;orcompellingreasonnottoconduct
• Additionalworksitesinspected
• Letter&citationsenttocompanyheadquartersbyRegionorNational
Office
• Meetingwithcompanyofficials(separatefrominformalconference)
• Enhancedsettlementagreements
Inspection Elements
• OpeningConference
– Scope
– Participationbyemployees/employer
• Walkaround
– Reviewofrecords
– Employeeinterviews
– Exposuremonitoring/collectionofevidence
• ClosingConference
Citations and Penalties
ClassificationofViolations
• Willful
– Committedwithintentional,knowing,orvoluntarydisregardofthe
requirementsoftheAct,orwithplainindifferencetoemployeesafety
– Penalty:$70Kmaximum,$5Kminimum
• Serious
– Substantialprobabilitythatdeathorseriousphysicalharmcouldresult
– Penalty:$7Kmaximum
• Repeated
– Sameorsubstantiallysimilarviolationwithin3years
– Penalty:$70Kmaximum,$5Kminimum
• Failuretoabate
– Penalty:$7Kforeachdaymaximum
Citations and Penalties
Classificationofviolations
• Otherthanserious
– Directrelationshiptosafetyandhealthbutnotlikelytocause death
orseriousphysicalharm
– Penalty:$7Kmaximum
– Alsoknownasa“general” violationundersomestateplan
jurisdictions
• Deminimis
– Norelationshiptosafetyandhealth
– Nopenalty
• Regulatoryviolations
– i.e.Violationofpostingrequirements,penalty:$7Kmaximum
Citations and Penalties
• Penaltiesassessedbasedongravity
– Gravity=SeverityxProbability
• Penaltiesreductionfactors:size,faith,history,and“quickfix”
• Groupedviolations
• Perinstancepenalties
– Egregiousviolations,CPL0200080
• TemporaryRestrainingOrders
• Criminalpenalties
– Willfulviolationcausingthedeathofanemployee
– Unauthorizedadvancednoticeofinspection
– Knowinglygivingfalseinformation
– Makingfalsestatements
Appeals/Notice of Contest
• Filedwithin15workingdaysoftheemployer’sreceiptofthe
citation
• Employersmayappeal
– Citation
– Penalty
– Abatementdate
• AffectedEmployeesoremployeerepresentativesmayappeal
onlytheabatementdate
• OSHA– informalconference
• AppealtoOccupationalSafetyandHealthReviewCommission
Appeals/Notice of Contest
OSHA– burdenofproof
– Exposure actualoraccesstohazard
– Knowledgeoftheviolation/hazardousconditions:employerknewor
couldhaveknownwiththeexerciseofreasonablediligence
– Feasibility
• Generaldutyclause– existenceofafeasibleandeffective
abatementmethods
• Whenfeasibilityisinthestandard
– i.e.useofengineeringoradministrativecontrolswhen
feasible
Appeals/Notice of Contest
Affirmativedefenses
– Unpreventableemployeemisconduct
• Employerhasestablishedworkrulesdesignedtopreventthe
violation
• Rulesareadequatelycommunicatedtoemployees
• Employerhastakenstepstodiscoverviolations
• Employerhaseffectivelyenforcedruleswhenviolationsare
discovered
– Infeasibilityofabatement/impossibilityofcompliance
– Greaterhazard
Rulemaking Process
• Agencyinitiatedorinresponsetoapetition
• Standardsadoptionprocess
– AdvanceNoticeofProposedRulemaking
– NoticeofProposedRulemaking
– PublicHearing
– CommentPeriod
– FinalRule
• Emergencytemporaryrules
• Variances
Current Rulemaking Agenda
Prerule
• Diacetyl(componentinartificialbutterflavoring)
• Airborneinfectiousdiseases
• InjuryandIllnessPreventionPrograms
Proposedrule
• Recordkeeping– restorecolumnonOSHA300logforworkplace
musculoskeletaldisorders
FinalRule
• Cranesandderricksinconstruction