As the primary agency responsible for employer compliance of health and safety laws, OSHA handles both large and small businesses. When it comes to evaluating small business, there is the potential for penalty reductions and limitations. Ensuring safety within our nations workforce causes a decrease in workers compensation claims.
OSHA takes the size of the employer into consideration, as well as a variety of other factors, when determining penalties for violations. According to employer size, OSHA may reduce penalties as follows:
- 60% penalty reduction may be applied if an employer has 25 employees or fewer;
- 40% if the employer has 26-100 employees; and
- 20% if the employer has 101-250 employees.
In addition to these penalty reductions, the record keeping requirements for small business is also less. Companies with fewer than 10 employees are often excused from most of the reporting and record keeping that large business must adhere to.
OSHA also provides free assistance to small business to help identify hazards and to implement plans that will improve safety and health management systems. Typically, companies in high-hazard industries receive priority. There are a variety of programs and services available, typically run by state agencies, funded by OSHA.
Services offered by Consultation:
- Help in recognizing hazards in the workplace.
- Suggested approaches or options for solving a safety or health problem.
- Sources of help available to a company needing further assistance.
- Written reports that summarize the findings of on-site reviews of safety and health.
- Assistance in developing or maintaining an effective safety and health management system.
- Training and education for a small business and its employees at the workplace and, in some cases, away from the worksite.
- Recognition by OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
