OSHA

Dollar General OSHA Fine
Fines, OSHA

Million-Dollar General

May 25, 2023 Comments Off on Million-Dollar General

May 25, 2023 In a series of inspections that can only be described as “Oops, they did it again,” the U.S. Department of Labor discovered unsafe conditions at nine Dollar General stores across four states: Maine, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a whopping $3.4 million in penalties for these violations, adding to the already staggering $21 million in fines that Dollar General has accumulated since 2017. It turns out that Dollar General stores have a knack for blocking everything that’s meant to keep employees safe. Federal safety inspectors often find aisles blocked by stacks of merchandise, emergency exits obstructed, fire extinguishers hidden from view, and electrical panels buried under a mountain of boxes. To make matters worse, these unsafe conditions exposed Dollar General employees to risks like fire, electrical shocks, and getting struck by falling merchandise. Yikes! Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, Doug Parker, had some choice words for DG saying, “Dollar General continues to expose its employees to unsafe conditions at its stores across the nation. As one of the nation’s largest retailers, the company must focus its attention on resolving these issues and making corporate-wide changes to protect the safety and well-being of the people they employ.” Take a look at some of the details of the million-dollar mishaps: Enfield, Maine In November 2022, OSHA found emergency exits blocked by rolling containers and boxes. They also discovered carts clogging the aisles, preventing quick access to fire extinguishers. To top it off, the store had goods stacked unsafely up to 6 feet high around an electrical panel. Oh, and the fire extinguishers hadn’t been visually inspected as required. OSHA slapped DG Retail LLC, the operator of the Enfield store, with five repeat violations and proposed $321,419 in penalties. Casselton, Garrison, Hillsboro, Killdeer, Minot, and Tioga, North Dakota State fire marshals and concerned citizens tipped off OSHA about hazardous conditions at Dollar General stores in North Dakota. Inspections between October and December 2022 revealed blocked exit routes, doors, fire extinguishers, and electrical panels. In Minot, things took an even scarier turn when six employees were exposed to toxic vapors after chemical containers ruptured. OSHA cited Dollar General for failing to provide adequate protection, training, and clean-up procedures. The result? 32 violations in just two months and an astonishing $2.5 million in proposed penalties. Kettering, Ohio In November 2022, OSHA descended upon a Dollar General store in Kettering, only to find exit routes, fire extinguishers, and electrical panels blocked by merchandise and other materials. Talk about a safety hazard! OSHA wasn’t laughing and issued citations for three repeat violations, amounting to $270,116 in proposed penalties. Kewaunee, Wisconsin Responding to a complaint about unsafe working conditions, OSHA discovered a disturbing scene in Kewaunee. Exit routes, fire extinguishers, and electrical panels were blocked by unsafe stacks of merchandise – sound familiar?? OSHA didn’t hold back and issued citations for four repeat and four willful violations, including unsafe electrical cords, uninspected fire extinguishers, and crushing hazards. OSHA proposed $367,216 in penalties. In conclusion, Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC have made a name for themselves in the world of workplace safety violations. They’ve even earned a prestigious spot in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. With a jaw-dropping tally of 19,000 stores and 28 distribution centers in 47 states, they sure know how to spread the joy of hazardous working conditions far and wide. Laughter is the best medicine, but workplace safety is no joke. Let’s hope Dollar General finally gets its act together and stops turning their stores into a circus of safety fails. Until then, let’s all stay safe and keep our exit routes clear of discounted merchandise!

Top Healthcare OSHA Violations
Best Practices, OSHA

Heads Up: Dodge These Top OSHA Violations!

February 14, 2023 Comments Off on Heads Up: Dodge These Top OSHA Violations!

February 14, 2024 Hey there! Ever heard of OSHA? Think of them as the workplace safety cheerleaders, ensuring everyone stays healthy and happy at work. Ensuring a safe and healthy workplace is paramount for our heroes on the frontlines. Let’s delve into the top OSHA violations to see what you need to avoid and prioritize workplace safety: Bloodborne Pathogen Management: Proper handling of blood and bodily fluids is crucial, with appropriate PPE and training mandated for everyone’s protection. Respiratory Protection: Implement proper respirators and ventilation systems to safeguard staff from airborne contaminants and ensure optimal respiratory health. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Utilization: Equipping everyone with the correct PPE and ensuring its proper use and maintenance creates a vital barrier against workplace hazards. Recordkeeping Meticulousness: Maintaining accurate and timely records of injuries, illnesses, and safety hazards facilitates proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies. Lockout/Tagout Procedure Implementation: Prevent accidental equipment activation by strictly adhering to established lockout/tagout procedures during maintenance activities. Remember, adhering to these guidelines fosters a safer and healthier environment for everyone, ultimately contributing to a thriving healthcare ecosystem. Let’s prioritize safety and empower your practice to shine! Thankfully, Abyde can help your practice avoid these common OSHA violations. Our revolutionary OSHA for Healthcare software includes entertaining training, dynamically generated documentation, a thorough facility risk assessment, and much more! To learn more about how you can simplify your practice’s compliance, contact us at info@abyde.com and schedule a demo here.

2023 OSHA Fines Increase
Fines, Legislation, OSHA

Inflation Strikes on Eggs and OSHA Fines

January 13, 2023 Comments Off on Inflation Strikes on Eggs and OSHA Fines

January 13, 2023 To keep up with inflation and the ever-changing cost-of-living adjustments, the U.S. Department of Labor announced changes to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) civil penalty amounts today. As part of a Congressional act passed in 1990, the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, and amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, the Department completes an annual review by January 15th to evaluate and adjust civil money penalty levels against inflation.  We can expect the new penalty amounts, shown below, to take effect on January 17, 2023. Currently, penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations are $14,502 per violation. With the recent update, we are seeing over a $1,000 increase to $15,625. Repeated violations aren’t getting a break either with an increase to $156,259 per violation from the previous $145,027.  Type of Violation Penalty SeriousOther-Than-SeriousPosting Requirements $15,625 per violation Failure to Abate $15,625 per day beyond the abatement date Willful or Repeated $156,259 per violation  Curious about state-specific updates? Per the U.S. Department of Labor, states that operate their own OSHA Plans are required to adopt maximum penalty levels that are at least as effective as Federal OSHA’s. State Plans are not required to impose monetary penalties on state and local government employers.  This new rule goes into effect on January 15, 2023. It will apply to any penalties assessed after January 15, 2023.  Before you go egging the next OSHA enforcement officer you come in contact with, remember that these annual updates are in place to remind you of the importance of maintaining a safe and healthful work environment.

New York OSH Center Case
Fines, OSHA

A New York Health Center’s Case is Denied Under OSH Act

November 28, 2022 Comments Off on A New York Health Center’s Case is Denied Under OSH Act

November 28, 2022 Hey, ref – blow the whistle already! Back in June of 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor filed suit against a New York health center due to an alleged violation of the OSH Act. It was reported that the NY health center suspended and later terminated an employee who had reported personal concerns about exposure to COVID-19. The employee, also known as the whistleblower did so under the OSH Act, which protects workers from retaliation when reporting a hazardous work condition.  The health center proceeded to file a motion in October of 2021, preventing the department from seeking damages for the whistleblower. Fast forward to September of this year, a federal court has rejected the health center’s case under the protection of the OSH Act.  Regional Solicitor of Labor, Jeffrey Rogoff adds, “This is a significant decision reaffirming the U.S. Department of Labor’s independent authority to pursue legal actions and relief for employees in the name of the public interest. The Office of the Solicitor of Labor will continue to aggressively bring cases seeking to vindicate the rights of whistleblowers, who are essential to the proper functioning of laws protecting the health and safety, wages, and wellbeing of the American workforce.” More investigations from the OSHA’s Division of Whistleblower Protection Programs are underway in New York. So what can we take away from this? As a reminder, the Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the provisions of more than 20 federal laws. These protect your employees from retaliation from raising or reporting their concerns about hazards of violations of various workplace safety and health. Make sure your office is a safe place where employees can voice their concerns, but more importantly you are taking the proper steps upfront to ensure your practice meets the necessary safety and health standards.

Healthcare OSHA Safety and Health Committee
Best Practices, OSHA

All Hands In For the OSHA Safety and Health Committee

October 21, 2022 Comments Off on All Hands In For the OSHA Safety and Health Committee

October 21, 2022 Book clubs are cool. Fantasy football leagues deserve their moment. But do you know what the elite of all groups and clubs is? For us, it’s an OSHA safety committee. The US Department of Labor says, “the safety and health committee is an integral part of the safety and health program, and helps ensure effective implementation of the program at the establishment level.”  We know firsthand that a group is always better together. So what does a safety and health committee even do? The committee helps improve the organization’s understanding of workplace safety and encourages co-workers to follow best practices in order to prevent workplace injury and illness. Additionally, they review current safety programs and recommend changes, as needed, to all safety and health procedures. Think of this committee as a soundboard for employees to voice their concerns and recommendations. Although practices cannot always prevent injuries or illnesses, implementing a safety committee is a significant step to help lower injury and illness rates. And we all know, lower rates equate to happier employees.  The safety and health committee should meet regularly (we recommend a monthly cadence – quarterly at a minimum) and bring its findings to the OSO (OSHA Safety Officer). And because we like to give advice away for free ninety-nine, here are a few ideas to get you started:  Maintaining safety and health is very important, to say the least. And if the US Department of Labor hasn’t given you any indication of that, this is not a solo job. Now let’s get all hands in because it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a safe work environment. On three… LET’S GO OSHA! Want more on state specifics guidance? Give us a call to discuss industry guidelines.

North Carolina Increases State OSHA Penalties
Fines, Legislation, OSHA

North Carolina Department of Labor Increases State OSHA Penalties and Updates Investigation Timelines

October 13, 2022 Comments Off on North Carolina Department of Labor Increases State OSHA Penalties and Updates Investigation Timelines

October 13, 2022 Do you get surprised and frustrated when policies change? How about when your bill was more expensive than you originally thought? We can relate. The North Carolina Department of Labor increased state OSHA penalties and investigations to match current Federal OSHA standards through the Appropriations Act. Starting October 1st, fines will increase and follow the same pattern every January 1st. Prior to this change, if a practice was fined the maximum under NC OSHA the cost to the practice would be: Wow, that’s a lot of dough – and we’re not talking about the pizza or cookie kind! And if you though that was expensive, here is what a violation will cost now: Notice anything special about the fines above? Some can be “per day”. We all know time is money and there’s no exception when it comes to OSHA. Not only are the penalties changing, but the time frame to issue citations is as well. Previously, citations could be levied up to six months from initial reporting. Also being implemented on October 1st, NC OSHA has six months from the first inspection to levy a citation, not from initial reporting like before. Don’t get me wrong – we love a good limbo at a party, but not when it comes to OSHA citations! The famous Pablo Piccaso said, “Action is the foundational key for all success”. With North Carolina amending a few OSHA policies, take the time to educate yourself to avoid any costly violations.

Abyde OSHA Software Launch
Abyde News, OSHA

Abyde Launches OSHA Software Solution for Healthcare Practices Nationwide

October 13, 2022 Comments Off on Abyde Launches OSHA Software Solution for Healthcare Practices Nationwide

October 13, 2022 Industry-leading compliance solution provider, Abyde, today announces the launching of OSHA for Healthcare – a revolutionary software to complement their existing HIPAA solution.  Abyde’s OSHA for Healthcare offers practices of any size to easily implement and sustain a compliance program that meets federal government regulatory requirements. Built by industry veterans and experienced developers, the software mimics the ease of use that customers have come to expect with the existing Abyde HIPAA platform. OSHA for Healthcare is available to all independent practices across the nation including, but not limited to: dental, eye care, chiropractic, and dermatology.  This one-of-a-kind solution was designed to alleviate the stress of managing a complex compliance program in-house, while simultaneously providing real-time support from a team of experts and educational resources that go beyond the software. The software encompasses components such as Facility Risk Assessment, custom policy generation, complete employee training, safety and health logs, and more.  “We have always had larger visions for Abyde beyond HIPAA compliance so we are ecstatic about launching our revolutionary OSHA compliance solution”, said Matt DiBlasi, Abyde President. “Our main objective for OSHA was to keep the simplicity and ease of use that has made Abyde the industry leader over the last 6 years. To say we’ve ‘nailed it‘ might be an understatement. We are so proud of all the hard work that went into creating such a uniquely better platform and we can’t wait for providers and staff to get their hands on it!” Demos of OSHA for Healthcare and educational consultations are currently available to all practice types. If you are an existing Abyde user, schedule a demo of the software here or an educational consultation here. For all those who are not current Abyde users, please schedule here. 

OSHA Inspection Process & Budget
Audits, OSHA

OSHA Inspection Process & Budget

October 11, 2022 Comments Off on OSHA Inspection Process & Budget

October 11, 2022 With all of the OSHA inspections that are conducted throughout all the major sectors, you would be surprised to find out that the healthcare industry makes up 12% of those inspections! With the total average number of OSHA inspections leaning towards 34,000 a year – 14,000 of those inspections are related to the healthcare industry alone. You may be thinking to yourself how does the whole OSHA inspection process work? Well, you are in luck! Let’s get into the nitty gritty of it all.  Anyone who is covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act has the ability to request an OSHA inspection, or OSHA could also make an unrequested inspection. If and when an inspection is conducted,  it is typically done with no notice at all – talk about an uninvited guest! For the inspection itself, it will include an opening conference, “walkaround” of the workplace, and a closing conference. The opening conference will begin once the inspector arrives and meets with the representatives. This part of the inspection is to be as short as possible and ensures that the inspection will cover all hazards that were mentioned in the complaint. After the opening conference, the inspector will conduct what’s called the “walkaround”. This is where the inspector and any representatives will check the facility for any safety and health hazards that were included in the initial complaint. The inspector could potentially check for any other hazards if they choose. The inspector would speak with any affected employees and employees are encouraged to point out any hazards and mention any past accidents, illnesses, and employee complaints.  During the initial walkaround, the inspector may use any equipment to measure noise, dust, fumes or any other hazardous exposure. If you are unsure of what they are doing, don’t be afraid to ask.  After the walkaround is complete, the OSHA inspector will bring any violations to the attention of the employer and employee representatives at the time they were discovered. Last thing is the closing conference, where the OSHA inspector  where the OSHA inspector has to conduct a closing conference, whether it is jointly or separately, and will go over any apparent violations, ways to correct them, deadlines, and potential fines. And that wraps it up! Phew! Now let’s talk about MONEY! Every year OSHA introduces a plan and budget to substantiate their existence. In August, the Senate proposed an 11.1% funding increase for OSHA in the fiscal year of 2023.  The Department of Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2023 proposes $679.8 million for OSHA in 2023, which is $68 million more than 2022. There is a House funding bill as well that proposes $712 million for OSHA; if the finalized budget is passed the amount would fall somewhere in between the two amounts that were proposed. With all that being said, having a larger budget could mean hiring more inspectors who could potentially knock on your door! Now that you’re familiar with the inspection process, wouldn’t it be nice to know you can be confident in your practice’s OSHA program? In walks Abyde – and we are a guest that usually brings doughnuts when we walk through your door!

OSHA Healthcare Facility Risk Assessment
Best Practices, OSHA

Kickstart your OSHA Compliance Program with a Facility Risk Assessment

October 11, 2022 Comments Off on Kickstart your OSHA Compliance Program with a Facility Risk Assessment

October 11, 2022 If you are familiar with OSHA compliance, you may know that you need to complete a Facility Risk Assessment, otherwise known as a Workplace Hazard Assessment. Tomato, toe-mat-oh, right? Despite the differing names, it’s important to know that this assessment helps your organization to identify, minimize and eliminate hazards in the workplace with the goal of providing a safe and healthful work environment for all employees.  Think of your Facility Risk Assessment (FRA) as the meat and potatoes of your entire OSHA compliance program. This is a baseline survey of all the hazards in your workplace. Without properly identifying, and more importantly, documenting all hazards within your organization, you cannot move forward with the rest of your OSHA compliance program and cannot show that there is a culture of compliance within your organization. Additionally, in the case of an investigation, the FRA is going to be the first thing the government asks for, so that is why it is so important it is completed first.  What kind of questions does your FRA need to include? Just as there is not a single recipe for a savory steak and potato meal, there is no single checklist to follow when it comes to completing a Risk Assessment for your organization. However, OSHA does recommend incorporating 7 core elements as part of your Facility Risk Assessment:  Once you have completed your Facility Risk Assessment, you should not tuck it into a folder and forget about it. Your FRA must be reviewed periodically to ensure that it is up to date and accurately reflects all processes and controls within your organization. It’s also important to keep in mind that all employees should be involved in the process of mitigating hazards identified from your FRA.  What’s the best way to tackle a Facility Risk Assessment? If your organization has not completed an FRA before or if you have but not sure if it was thorough, using an outside organization will help to ensure all areas of the FRA are fully completed and documented accordingly. A third party can also help add new areas and questions into the FRA that reflect changing regulations. Are you looking for help kickstarting your OSHA compliance program? Reach out to Abyde today for a customized, easy to complete FRA that is tailored to you and your organization.

Optometrists Need OSHA Too
OSHA

Optometrists Need OSHA too!

October 11, 2022 Comments Off on Optometrists Need OSHA too!

October 11, 2022 “Why should I be concerned about OSHA? I’ve never heard anything about OSHA and vision clinics?”- an actual Abyde customer                              Optometrists can feel the sting from OSHA, but it isn’t a sting like getting shampoo in your eye that goes away after washing it out. It’s a financial sting, much like cutting a jalapeno and wiping your eye, and requires a more serious treatment method.  OSHA is ramping up their staffing, and holding their regulations to the highest standards we’ve seen yet. Sure, when you put OSHA into your search bar you see hardhats and bright green vests, it doesn’t look like it applies to you. We are here to tell you no one is exempt from regulations unless specifically stated. We have done our research, we see the importance for our customers, and now it’s time to educate on why it applies to Optometry.  Optometrists and their staff always use best practices in wiping down the chin and head strap before sending that always anticipated, but yet startling ‘puff’ to the eyeball. When sitting in the big chair and ready to use the machine that has patients looking like Dr. Robotnik, they always clean it beforehand. But, what may not be recognized is that the cleaning solution used in best practice, is required to be logged and updated under OSHA Standards. Let’s not forget about the education Optometrists give patients on the benefits of getting eyes dilated. When patients consent to wearing the cool disposable sunglasses, the Doctor’s responsibility is to have OSHA approved regulations in place while using the chemical. This includes but is not limited to having it logged in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), but also making sure all staff is trained on usage to avoid any injuries. Documenting your hazardous chemicals and training staff for implementation, is part of the real definition of best practice according to us here at Abyde, and we of course give you everything you need to do so.  While patients may need eye drops for getting shampoo in the eye, they won’t be getting any eye diseases that an Optometrist needs to treat. However, while treating eye diseases, OSHA standards for Exposure Control are required to be followed. That includes any bacteria, bloodborne pathogens, and maintaining proper protection is key! Let’s not forget the hazardous chemicals you’re using for treatment. Now that we’ve gone full circle, we haven’t even started the race on OSHA importance in Optometry.  So, to answer the Abyde customer(s) who are wondering why they should be concerned about OSHA, we have much more education available for all of our Optometrists! Knowledge is power, (and in this case, a money saver), y’all.

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