OSHA Increases Enforcement, Compliance in 2019

Final OSHA statistics for the 2019 fiscal year show a significant increase in inspections and a record amount of compliance assistance.

OSHA’s enforcement activities reflect its continued focus on worker safety, said Loren Sweatt, principal deputy assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.

The 33,401 inspections OSHA performed eclipsed the number performed the previous three years and addressed violations related to trenching, falls, chemical exposure, silica, and other hazards.

OSHA reached a record 1,392,611 workers with training on safety and health requirements through the administration’s various education programs, including its training institute education centers, outreach training program, and the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.

OSHA’s compliance assistance programs have helped small businesses address safety and health hazards in their workplaces.

The agency’s no-cost On-Site Consultation Program also identified 137,885 workplace hazards, and protected 3.2 million workers from potential harm.

A list of safety violations for 2019 that OSHA published earlier this year show that, for the third straight year, fall protection remained the top violation.

OSHA said it issues the bulk of its fall-protection citations to the construction industry.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Phillip Montgomery (860.244.1982).