OSHA Severe Violator Enforcement Program enhances enforcement

The US Department of Labor has announced expanded criteria for employer placement in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The new criteria encompasses all potential workplace hazards and OSHA standards. 

Since 2010, the program has focused enforcement and inspection resources on employers who willfully or repeatedly violate OSHA standards or refuse to correct prior violations. Employers are both placed on a public list of severe violators and subject to follow-up inspections.

The enhanced criteria address:

• Program placement for employers with at least two willful or repeat violation citations or who receive failure-to-abate notices for high-gravity serious violations.
• Follow-up inspections between one and two years after a final order is issued.
• Potential removal from the program three years after receiving verification that the employer has abated all program-related hazards.
• An employer's ability to reduce time spent in the program to two years, if the employer consents to an enhanced settlement agreement that requires compliance with at least seven basic elements in OSHA's Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs.