According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 570 people died from work-related injuries in agriculture in 2011. That’s 7 times the fatality rate for all workers in the private sector! Safety is an important topic in the agricultural industry. That being said, it’s no wonder OSHA has regulations that are meant to keep people safe specifically in agriculture. While some farms are exempt from OSHA regulations, did you know there are a few requirements that apply across the board? No matter if you employ 10 or less people total, or only employ immediate family, OSHA requires that both exempt and non-exempt operations abide by these rules.

This is the final part of a 3 part series on OSHA inspections.  If you have not read the previous parts, go back and do that:

Click here for Part 1 - Why would OSHA pay me a visit? and click here for Part 2 - What to do when they show up?.

Can you pass these 5 commonly cited areas with your operation?

On my last post; OSHA Inspection – What to do when they show up (part 2) we covered things to know prior to an OSHA inspection. In this blog I want to address what OSHA might be looking for when they arrive for an inspection. 

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.

If you have a dairy operation in Wisconsin or upstate New York, or a pork production facility in Minnesota, or a feedlot in the plains states, you know that OSHA has been looking at you with greater intensity.   Other parts of the country are seeing similar increases in inspection activity.  States with their own OSHA agencies have regulations that are more strict than those of federal OSHA.  With Agriculture being the last high-risk industry that they haven’t targeted for significant improvements, it’s only logical that they would go here next.  Additionally, it is now commonplace for a disgruntled former employee to report specific infractions to these agencies in retaliation for perceived unfairness or mistreatment.  If you aren't compliant, just think of that inspector going through your operation with a checklist, ringing up expenses to you faster than a teenage girl using dad's credit card to shop for the prom. 

Many things can happen in an ag business to make it a really bad day, and one of the worst might be a day that OSHA decided to stop by for an unannounced audit.  For some businesses that have regular inspections it may not be a major event, but for most operations it could be an expensive review.

We know you're trying to run a safe operation. No one wants to see their employees or family members sustain injuries -- or worse -- as they perform crucial functions around the farm. But accidents do happen, and OSHA has started paying closer attention to agriculture operations. And once you're on OSHA's radar, the likelihood of receiving fines for unsafe practices goes up significantly.