Yowzer. That’s really all I could say when I read the news that OSHA is looking to triple the penalties for safety violations. In a world where everything in your business is a potential liability, this cannot be welcome news for glass and window and door companies. Historically, the agency’s penalties for violations have been around $1000. Saying that this isn’t high enough to act as a deterrent, the agency wants to raise them to between $3000 and $7000 or even in some cases, $70,000.Further, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is pushing Congress to pass an updated law called the Protecting America’s Workers Act. This act would not only raise the financial and criminal penalties for violations, it would strengthen protections for whistleblowers and offer additional compensation for victims and their families.
No one doubts the importance of safety in the workplace. We’ve talked before about all the issues associated with losing workers to injuries. Not only is someone’s real life affected, but there’s a bottom line cost to you, the business owner. And that cost is about to go up by a lot.
If your workers don’t have their OSHA cards yet, you need to start thinking about it. Starting very soon, the penalty for not being in compliance won’t just be an inconvenience; it could put you out of business. Thankfully, you can get this done, along with all your other training needs, on MyGlassClass.com through our partner 360training.com. To get started, just visit the Course Catalog. This training is a cost-effective, convenient way to get your workers the training they need to earn their OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 cards.
Safety comes first every day, of course. But beyond losing a worker and their productivity, you have to watch out for the liability issues and how they affect your business. I’d encourage you to take this simple step as soon as possible.
Matt Rumbaugh
Sr. Manager of Education, Training, and Certification
National Glass Association, Window & Door Dealers Alliance
