How to Avoid the Five Most Expensive (and Frequently Cited) Types of General Industry Citations

Year in and year out, the same five standards tend to be cited the most frequently in general industry inspections. While their placement in the Top 5 may vary from time to time, Lockout/Tagout, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Powered Industry Trucks, and Machine Guarding are consistently cited more often than any other standards during inspections of general industry employers. In terms of the financial impact, the order changes slightly with LOTO and machine guarding leading the way, followed by PITs, respiratory protection, and Haz Com. No matter how you slice the numbers, the fact that these standards consistently occupy the top spots in these annual lists means that employers should prioritize compliance with the many requirements found in each standard; doing so will result in safer and healthier workplaces, not to mention more favorable outcomes if and when OSHA shows up. In our experience, however, these standards result in the most citations not because employers are indifferent, but because the standards can often be confusing and there are practitioners out there providing bad or incomplete information.

In this session, Aaron Gelb, Co-Managing Partner at Conn Maciel Carey, deciphers the more confusing aspects of these standards and outlines a clear a path through the regulatory maze. He will discuss the most common mistakes employers make attempting to comply with these standards, share his experiences in the field defending inspections involving these standards, and provide practical tips and suggestions for how general industry employers can improve health and safety outcomes in these areas, while also reducing regulatory risk.

Who should watch:
EHS Directors, Operations Managers, Maintenance Leaders, Risk Managers, and Safety Professionals

Aaron Gelb

Co-Managing Partner at Conn Maciel Carey, LLP