What’s it like to be inspected by OSHA?
I haven’t been in the safety world long enough to have been through a full blown OSHA inspection. I was wondering if anyone out there has been inspected and can shed some light on the process. What prompted the inspection? What was the aftermath of the inspection?
Just curious!
Comments (4)
This is the biggest takeaway that I can provide for insight on this topic. If an OSHA inspector takes a picture with their camera or phone turned sideways, you take the exact same photo. At times, they will cite you on standards that are RELEVANT to what the violation may be, but not the true standard itself that you may be in violation of. Always make sure to take time to evaluate this for any citation should you receive one. As much as possible, fix any violation that you can on the spot with the inspector there. It would always be advisable to have an additional person with you that can communicate with individuals within each department to walk along with you in the inspection to fix the issues as best you can while the walk through is being performed.
I have been through an inspection. It was in relation to a serious injury. There is an opening conference and a closing conference. They generally list what they are investigating in the beginning but are not restricted to that narrative. They interview members of management and employees. They will issue citations if they believe they find violations. These citations can be contested and sometimes dismissed or reduced.