The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created by congress in 1970 to protect the safety and health of US workers. While keeping workers safe and healthy may be a top priority, and essential to the health of many businesses, avoiding OSHA violations can be tricky. The good news is, there are several easy and affordable tools to help facilities immediately start reducing some of the most common OSHA violations.
What Are the Most Common OSHA Violations?
Each year OSHA releases a new list of the top ten safety and health violations for the fiscal year. You may be surprised to learn the most common OSHA violations in the last decade haven’t actually changed much from year to year.
Over the last decade, the most common OSHA violations have been in the areas of fall protection, hazard communication (HazCom), scaffolding and respiratory protection. Fall protection and scaffolding violations are more likely to be encountered in construction fields. HazCom and respiratory protection violations occur in cases where workers are exposed to toxic and hazardous substances.
Easy OSHA Violations to Avoid
In 2018 HazCom violations still rank number two on OSHA’s top ten list. However, new innovations in labeling, printing and software technology have made these types of OSHA violations quick and easy to remedy (or avoid altogether).
Four or five years ago, creating OSHA-compliant labels and safety signs that could stand up to heavy-duty work spaces would have been a costly, complicated ordeal. Avery® Industrial resources make on-site printing of durable GHS chemical labels and safety signs easier and more affordable than ever before.
How Much Can OSHA Violations Cost a Business?
Penalties for OSHA violations are no laughing matter. A single serious infraction can cost a business $13,260 per violation. Fail to remedy the violation? They’re looking at up to $13,260 each day they fail to abate. Repeat the violation and the penalty fine can jump to $132,598. …and that’s per violation, meaning they can multiply all the above figures for, say, each chemical bottle/container mislabeled in their warehouse.
Quick HazCom Violation Solutions
A good way to avoid HazCom related OSHA violations is to make sure labels and signs are up to date and in good condition. Using OSHA-compliant templates to create GHS chemical labels and safety signs is a simple way to save time and money.
When creating GHS chemical labels and safety signs on-site, the materials that are used are crucial. Poor-quality printed materials can result in an OSHA violation for damaged or missing labels and signage.
Industrial-Grade GHS Chemical Labels
Avery UltraDuty® GHS Chemical Labels are waterproof and resistant to chemicals, UV, abrasions and extreme temperatures. Not only are Avery UltraDuty® GHS Chemical Labels available in a wide selection of sizes, they also adhere to a variety of surfaces in industrial work spaces. Some examples include metal, plastic, fiber, polycarbonate, glass and painted surfaces.
Durable OSHA-Compliant Safety Signs
When it comes to safety signs and avoiding OSHA violations, it often comes down to a choice between two unpopular options; either wait for preprinted signs to arrive or try cheap DIY solutions that cost time and money to regularly replace.
Avery Surface Safe® Sign Labels solve both problems. They help companies avoid OSHA violations, and allow them to place safety signs exactly where needed, even if they’re renting space or equipment. Engineered using a special adhesive, Surface Safe® Sign Labels stick and stay put on a variety of surfaces, yet remove cleanly, leaving no residue behind. They are also water, chemical, abrasion and tear resistant.
Avoid OSHA Violations— On Budget & On Time with Avery Industrial Products
Avery provides quick, easy and affordable solutions to make sure safety labels and signs are always ready for the next inspection. They work with standard desktop printers, so no special equipment is needed. Easy-to-use industrial templates & software on avery.com are specifically designed to eliminate guesswork so facilities can easily avoid OSHA violations.
