OSHA's Confined Spaces in Construction final rule received negative feedback from the HVACR industry and was labeled as overreaching and burdensome to residential contractors when it was released last spring. 

In an effort to make civil monetary penalties more effective, last year Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. As part of this act, penalties under the Occupation Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), those enforced by OSHA, have been increased beginning Aug. 1, 2016.

When you hear that your facility will be the target of an OSHA inspection, step back and examine the strengths and weaknesses of your safety program, and think about how you can focus the attention on the strengths. Although OSHA will come in looking for anything you’re doing wrong, you want to make sure they’re aware of all the things you’re doing right.

The new Interim Final Rule, which was published in the Federal Register on July 1, will take effect on Aug. 1 for violations that occurred after Nov. 2, 2015. 

At a recent International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) meeting, Mark S. Dreux, a partner and head of the OSHA group at the Washington, District of Columbia, law firm Arent Fox LLP, gave a presentation on how facility personnel can manage the biggest challenges associated with an OSHA inspection.

For the construction industry and affected Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) contractors, potential silica exposures are found in tasks that include drilling and cutting concrete and stone. 

For employers, an increase in OSHA fines could be a costly problem, underscoring the importance of a robust and effective workplace safety policy. However, OSHA’s recent enforcement positions are creating confusion over how to implement an effective safety policy.