This is the second part of a 3 part series on OSHA inspections.  See here for the other parts:

• Click here for Part 1 - Why would OSHA pay me a visit? (Read if this before continuing if you haven't)
• Click here for Part 3  - What Will They Be Looking For?

If an OSHA inspector arrived at your operation this morning, would you be ready for an inspection?  The number of OSHA inspections in agriculture are expected to increase. OSHA recognizes more and more ag operations have more than 10 employees and these operations fall under their jurisdiction.  OSHA does not announce they are coming, in fact, advance notice is prohibited.

This is the first part of a 3 part series on OSHA inspections.  See here for the other parts:

• Click here for Part 2 - What to do when they show up? 
• Click here for Part 3  - What Will They Be Looking For?

There are 6 reasons that actuate an OSHA inspection in workplaces and they follow an order of priority. OSHA carefully prioritizes all complaints it receives based on their severity. It's best to understand them as each type can bring out an OSHA inspector for very different reasons. Normally OSHA conducts inspections without advance warning.

Chuck Palmer, partner in the Wisconsin-based law firm Michael Best & Freidrich LLP told a group sponsored by Farm Credit East says “OSHA is not going to give you advance notice of an inspection. They bank upon surprise.” It has been a trend over the last eight years. Because of limited resources, OSHA’s philosophy has been that of enforcement, the agency will send a notice to other employers that they could be next, much like motorists slow down when they see a police officer giving a driver a ticket on the side of the roadway.

It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “we are totally on board with safety training”, however their second statement is “but we can’t seem to get around to it”.  At the heart of this is procrastination. We all do it to some degree: putting off for tomorrow what should be started today.  We try to put things out of our minds but usually end up carrying the load subconsciously.

 Some of the world’s most disastrous accidents are related to sleep deprivation and fatigue; Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and The Challenger Explosion.  These well-known global catastrophes are a reminder that sleep is utterly crucial.

 When push comes to shove, many of us, when confronted with completing a task will extend our work day by first robbing our sleep time. Our sleep time is simply undervalued. The common link between these 5 disasters are; lowered alertness, inattention, and delayed reaction due to sleep deprivation.                 (also see Harvest Safety - Preventing Fatigue)

Combines have been rolling throughout the Midwest through mostly very dry conditions.  Clouds of dust can be seen for miles where combines have been.  These dry, dusty conditions also make it ideal for combine fires.  One component in fire protection I’d like to cover is the pressurized water extinguishers. Though normally seen on balers, we also see them on combines. 

Grain augers are a necessity on many agricultural operations and deserve a high level of attention due to the many safety risks associated with them. Common injuries include amputations, entanglements, electrocution, lacerations, and broken bones. Which is why augers have been recognized to be one of the more dangerous pieces of equipment per hour of use. 

Are you dreading breathing in dust this harvest season?  The way it makes you feel crappy, stuffed up, having a runny nose, a cough and affecting your overall health?  It’s certainly understandable.

Having a crisis communication plan is essential for the long-term health of your business.  A very brief definition for a crisis is anything that threatens the reputation of your business. As the saying goes;          "it’s not of matter of if, it’s a matter of when"  you’ll have a crisis to deal with says Steve Richardson of the Brighton Agency. 

If your operations’ equipment is involved in an accident on a public highway, can you defend yourself? Can you show you took steps to train your operators on road safety, made your equipment visible and comply with transportation regulations?

Many people may assume that agriculture in general is exempt from OSHA standards. The truth is agriculture is not exempt from OSHA.  However, there is a small farms exemption. Understanding the exemption could be vital to your operation. Before we get into the exemption, lets first examine the General Duty Clause as it sets up the framework for understanding who is and who isn’t covered.