National and Local Emphasis Programs

Employers expect OSHA to show up after reporting a serious incident or when employees complain about certain types of hazards, but the agency has been focused now, more than ever it seems, on proactive enforcement methods. As part of this strategy, OSHA has launched a series of new National Emphasis Programs (“NEP”) targeting heat illness, silica, and the warehousing industry, while also announcing a number of new Regional and Local Emphasis Programs (“REP” and “LEP”) across the country. Employers in the covered industries should take note because their establishments can be selected for an inspection under these programs even if they have an exemplary safety record, have not been subjected to any complaints, and have not recently reported a serious incident. Understanding these enforcement priorities is vital for companies to better prepare for potential regulatory inspections.

Additionally, the enforcement directives created by OSHA for these programs contain blueprints for how OSHA plans and conducts inspections of covered employers, so there is no excuse not to be prepared for the inevitable knock on the door.

This webinar consisted of an informed discussion about what covered employers can expect if selected for an emphasis program inspection and what can be done now to prepare.

Participants in this webinar learned:

• The various types of emphasis programs used by OSHA
• How emphasis program inspections differ from incident/complaint inspections
• Inspection and citation statistics relating to emphasis program inspections
• Our personal experiences regarding inspections conducted pursuant to the newest emphasis programs

The presenters shared suggestions, based on their experiences managing inspections, and helped attendees self-assess their organization’s readiness for programmed inspections.