OSHA Offices

Physical examinations, employee training and educational programs, medical protection, and record keeping, among others, are required. The regional OSHA office should be consulted for the latest rules and regulations. 

OSHA officers finding conditions of imminent danger may request plant shutdowns. 

In 2002, 14 cases of flavoring-related BO among microwave popcorn workers and flavor-manufacturing workers were reported (CDC, 2002 Kreiss et ah, 2002a Lockey et ah, 2002 Parmet and von Essen, 2002). The NIOSH Alert on flavoring-related lung disease was disseminated in 2004 to flavor and food manufacturers and regional OSHA offices (CDC, 2004). 

OSHA Reportable Event— An incident that causes any fatality or the hospitalization of five employees or more requires a notification report to the nearest OSHA office. 

Your employer is legally responsible for providing a safe workplace and should freely answer your questions about hazardous chemicals. Your OSHA-approved state occupational safety and health program or OSHA can also answer any further questions you might have, and help your employer identify and correct problems with hazardous substances. If you would like to make a formal complaint about health hazards in your workplace, your OSHA-approved state occupational safety and health program or OSHA office will listen to your complaint and inspect your workplace when necessary. 

A. Elimination or reduction of further exposure is a key treatment intervention in occupational toxicology. This includes prevention of exposure of coworkers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may be of assistance and should be notified immediately about an ongoing, potentially life-threatening workplace exposure situation. Contact information for region OSHA offices is listed in Table IV-3. Workplace modification and control, especially the substitution of less hazardous materials, should always be the first line of defense. Worker-required personal protective equipment is, in general, less preferred. 

Safety and health professionals should never stop attempting to find solutions in creating and maintaining a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. Although OSHA and state plan standards may not be applicable or may be in conflict with the unique situation at hand, working with your regional OSHA office or state plan office often yields workable solutions and avoids the potential of penalties. Creative safety and health professionals should leave no stone unturned in finding solutions to potential risks in the workplace. 

Workers believing they have been punished for exercising safety and health rights must contact the nearest OSHA office within 30 days of the time they learn of the alleged discrimination. A representative of the employee s choosing can file the 11(c) complaint for the worker. Following a complaint, OSHA will contact the complainant and conduct an in-depth interview to determine whether an investigation is necessary. 

The inspection will usually start with a plant tour, during which the inspector will obtain a general overview of the facility and its operations. During this tour, a management representative may accompany the inspector (unless he or she wishes to speak to an employee privately). At the conclusion of the tour, the OSHA officer must inform the plant management of any violations found, along with a statement as to how much time is to be allowed for correction. 

If a facility has a fatality or five or more people have been hospitalized, OSHA will conduct an investigation. Such investigations, often referred to as FAT/CAT, are performed when a very serious accident has occurred. The event must also be reported to the nearest OSHA office within 48 hours. 

Report to the nearest OSHA office within 48 hours any fatal accident or one that results in the hospitalization of five or more employees. 

Employees who feel they are being treated unfairly because of actions they have taken in the interest of safety and health, have 30 days to contact the nearest OSHA office. Upon receipt of a complaint, OSHA will conduct an investigation and make recommendations... 

I The complaint should be filed with the OSHA office responsible for enforcement activities in the geographical area where the employee resides or was employed. The complaint may also be filed I with any OSHA officer or employee. Addresses and telephone nrun-bers for these officials can be fomid in local directories and at www.osha.gov. 

The complaint should be filed within 180 days of the alleged violation. The date of the postmark, facsimile transmittal, electronic communication transmittal, telephone call, hand-delivery, delivery to a third-party commercial carrier, or in-person filing at an OSHA office will be considered the date of filing. There are some situations where the 180 day time-frame will be waived. 

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 50 minutes per response, including time to review the instnicdons, search and gather the data needed, and complete and review the collection of informadon. Persons are not required to respond to the coHecdon of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. If you have any comments about these estimates or any other aspects of this data coHecdon, contact US Department of Labor, OSHA Office of Statistical Analym, Room N-3644, 200 Consdtudon Avenue, MW,... 

E. If an MSDS is not received after two such requests, the site supervisor should contact the local OSHA office for assistance in obtaining the MSDS. 

Orr, G. Identifying Risk Factors for Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Homes. OSHA Directorate of Technical Support, Nursing Homes Safety and Health Training Course, OSHA Office of Training and Education, USDL, July 1996. 

When the OSHA compliance officer arrives at an establishment, he or she displays official credentials and asks to meet an appropriate employer representative. An OSHA compliance officer carries U.S. Department of Labor credentials bearing his or her photograph and a serial number that can be verified by calling the nearest OSHA office. You should always ask to see the officer s credentials. 

OSHA state-plan-states Certain states have more stringent regulations than Federal OSHA. If you operate in a state-plan-state, check with your local OSHA office to determine if there are regulations that go above and beyond Federal OSHA. 

Focused Inspections in Construction — Construction Safety and Health Outreach Program U.S. Department of Labor — OSHA Office of Training and Education — May 1996... 

Employers have the right to seek advice and off-site consultation as needed by writing, calling, or visiting the nearest OSHA office (OSHATI, 1994, chap. 2). 

If an on-the-job accident occurs, resulting in the death of an employee or the hospitalization of three or more employees, all employers are required to report the accident in detail to the nearest OSHA office within eight hours (29 CFR 1904.8). The employer must file a report by telephone or in person to the OSHA area office or state plan office. A motor vehicle accident occurring on a public highway, not in a construction zone, does not need to be reported. 

In summary, information is readily available to help employers identify which employees should receive safety and health information, education, and training, and who should receive it before others. Employers can request assistance in obtaining information by contacting such organizations as OSHA Area Offices, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, OSHA-approved state programs, state on-site consultation programs, the OSHA Office of Training and Education, or local safety councils. 

Another important reason for the OSHAct was the increasing number of injuries and illnesses within the workplace. Thus, the OSHAct was passed with the express purpose of insuring that every working man and woman in the nation would be provided safe and healthful work conditions while preserving this national human resource the American worker. The OSHAct is divided into thirty-four sections, with each having a specific purpose. The full text of the OSHAct is approximately thirty-one pages and a copy can be obtained from your local OSHA office. 

Report to the nearest OSHA office within eight hours all occupational fatalities or a catastrophe where three or more employees are hospitalized. 

A. A oopy of the interim standard for lead in construction can be obtained free of charge by calling or writing the OSHA Office of Publications, Room N-3101, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20210 Telephone (202) 219-4667. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Washington, DC, offers a number of publications relating to workplace safety. Contact the local or regional OSHA office for a list of available titles. 

Notification of Corrective Action - For each violation which you do not contest, you are required by 29 CFR 1903.19 to submit an Abatement Certification to the Area Director of the OSHA office issuing the citation and identified above. The certification must be sent by you within 10 calendar days of the abatement date indicated on the citation. For Willful and Repeat violations, documents (examples photos, copies of receipts, training records, etc.) demonstrating that abatement is complete must accompany the certification. Where the citation is classified as Serious and the citations states that abatement documentation is required, documents such as those described above are required to be submitted along vrith the abatement certificate. If the citation indicates that the violation was corrected during the inspection, no abatement certification is required for that item. 

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES OF INFORMAL CONFERENCE An infomml conference has been seh uled with OSHA to discuss the citation(s) issued on 09/12/2011. The conference will be held at the OSHA office located... 

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