How to Address OSHA Violations in Your Facility

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) routinely conducts inspections of industrial and commercial worksites to ensure facilities are maintaining compliance with OSHA safety standards. According to an overview of the top 10 most cited safety violations from the National Safety Council (NSC), OSHA issued thousands of citations to facilities in 2021 for a variety of non-compliance issues, including a lack of fall protection, improper hazards communication and a lack of personal protective equipment.

If your facility is issued a citation for violating an OSHA safety standard, it is important to take prompt action in order to address the problem. Failure to take corrective action could result in worse fines or even facility shutdown. Here is a look at what to do if your facility incurs an OSHA violation, as well as the steps you can take to demonstrate compliance.

If a facility receives a citation for non-compliance during an OSHA inspection, they are required to take corrective action in order to resolve the violation. OSHA provides a general outline for how facilities can address a citation, but responding to specific violations may require further elaboration from OSHA. If a facility is uncertain about how a citation should be resolved, it’s a good idea to contact OSHA directly and request guidance.  

OSHA also makes many of its responses to public inquiries regarding standards interpretation available to assist other facilities seeking guidance. Once a facility understands how to comply with a safety standard, they are then required to send a letter of corrective action to OSHA to set up a time for reassessment. If your facility receives a citation during an inspection, it is important to respond immediately. Failure to respond to OSHA violations promptly could result in more severe fines or even facility shutdown.

Many OSHA violations are issued due to a lack of proper safety equipment. Eagle offers a wide range of workplace safety solutions to enable facilities to achieve compliance with OSHA and NFPA safety standards. Here is a look at some of the products that can help your operation demonstrate and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. 

Eagle offers a variety of safety cans designed to transport and store a wide range of flammable and hazardous substances. Type I and Type II safety cans from Eagle feature a galvanized construction and are intended to satisfy OSHA and NFPA code 30 requirements. These safety cans are also UL and ULC listed as well as FM approved for the safe storage and handling of flammable liquids.

In addition to Type I and II safety cans, Eagle offers a variety of other safety can options, including DOT-approved cans that are designed to transport flammable liquids on roads and highways, oily waste cans that provide safe temporary storage for waste materials and biohazard containers for temporarily storing potentially hazardous substances.

Eagle has been the industry leader in workplace safety cabinets for nearly 50 years. Safety cabinets from Eagle feature a reinforced double-wall construction with a lead-free, high-gloss, baked-on powder coat finish. The patented adjustable shelves incorporated into these cabinets are designed to direct internal spills towards the leak-proof sump. Safety cabinets from Eagle are available in a wide range of sizing options and are designed to safely store a variety of materials in accordance with OSHA and NFPA code 30 requirements.

OSHA standard 1910.22 requires facilities to ensure that all employee walking areas are kept dry to a reasonable extent and free from slipping hazards. Leak-prone equipment—such as IBCs, drums or other storage containers—can potentially create hazardous working conditions. Spill containment equipment from Eagle is designed to safely contain leak-prone equipment and prevent injuries resulting from slips and falls.

Material handling equipment is designed to protect workers and assets in a variety of areas, including warehouses, logistics centers, packaging areas and loading docks. Bollard posts from Eagle are designed to allow workers to freely move from one area to another while providing reliable protection from vehicle impact. Ramps and dockplates are also available to provide personnel with safe access to trailers and trucks in loading areas.

OSHA considers facility parking lots and garages to be part of the work environment. This means that it is a facility’s responsibility to ensure personnel safety in these areas. Traffic safety equipment from Eagle is designed to protect pedestrians and control traffic in parking lots and garages in order to prevent accidents and injuries. Parking lot safety equipment such as parking stops, speed bumps, guidepost delineators and garage height clearance bars will help facilities ensure a safe environment for drivers and pedestrians.

Eagle is the industry leader in workplace safety equipment designed for industrial and commercial facilities. Our safety products are designed in consultation with industry experts in order to enable operations to comply with regulatory requirements. Take a look at our selection of workplace safety solutions and find the products that are right for you.