Workers Fined for Not Wearing PPE

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Garry L Mullins Jr on July 5, 2009 at 9:14pm

I think it's a bit steep...and also who will be paying these OSHA inspectors to walk around every job site in America to look at gloves and earplugs? Will they work on commission? Haha... But seriously, fining the workers just seems like too big of a process to deal with such minor infractions as forgetting to put your earplugs in. That's what field safety techs are for, to be there to help workers as well as the company. I think overall this day in age there is a much better safety culture. With all the safety crammed down the workers throats day in and day out they can't help but to become aware, PPE is now a basic necessity not only in the eyes of the employer or OSHA but to most workers as well. When people make mistakes it happens, and safety techs will be there to remind them either with a reprimand or a friendly reminder. It seems redundant and a bit overboard for PPE violations.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Astad on July 6, 2009 at 12:22am

Thanks for the valuable input. What about job sites like at a chemical plant where workers have lost their vision for failure to wear safety glasses due to chemical exposure? You are correct, $50 is high but how much is one's vision worth? Many sites don't have a full-time safety tech to ensure safety procedures are being followed on a daily basis. So should the employer be cited instead of the employee for PPE OSHA violations?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Burzynski on July 8, 2009 at 9:56am

I don't think $50 is too high. I constantly struggle with a certain department trying to ensure they wear faceshields when grinding. They do a lot of grinding and don't want to don and doff them constantly. The supervisor doesn't say anything so when I see it, I have to do something. Guess where all of our injuries occur? Guess what type of injuries they are? So far everyone has gotten lucky that it hasn't resulted in anything traumatic! So without management making it a condition of being employed here, my hands are tied. I use positive reinforcement with the ones who I do catch wearing thiers.

A diemaker is tough to find and they know it. They abuse the fact they know they won't get fired. I think I will talk to management and see if we could do something similar, like dock any employee breaking this rule a nour or two's worth of pay... close to $50 ;) Hit 'em where it hurts!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Burzynski on July 9, 2009 at 9:02am

And yes I think the employer should be penalized as well. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure if they can not eliminate a hazard through administrative or engineering controls, that their employees wear their prescribed PPE. Wearing PPE needs to be a condition of employment. Too many workers have the "it won't happen to me" attitude.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael J. Bradford, CHST on July 10, 2009 at 3:08am

I completely disagree with Mr. Mullins ... if employees as well as employers received consequences for their personal decisions our jobs would be so much easier. We, as Safety Professionals are interested in accident/injury prevention, preventing property damage, as well as saving lives, I'm not sure in all my inspections and audits, the employer or the employee have that in mind. They have schedules, budgets and project managers up their tails to complete, on time within budget. At times you guys know they look at us as an enemy or something, even when we try to coach .... not cop ... our projects. I understand budget and schedule ... but I have been to accidents with fatalities, IT IS NOT a plesant experience. When an employees loses his life because someone told them to double a nylon strap instead of getting the correct wire rope sling with the correct manufacturers data on the nameplate, and know the weight of the intended load, a man would still be alive, going to hiswedding that was planned two weeks later. The employer and the crane operator should have been in the penitentiary. In my humble opinion.

An 8000 pound steel column and a 5000 pound nylon strap in a choaker configuration, which at that point it is a 2500 pound strap, ... it cut it like a razor blade and fell on the employee , killing him instantly.

Allot of Safety Professionals have not been on projects with over 1000 employees onsite ... it's is impossible to babysit that many men. When it happens, it changes you're whole outlook about your responsibility as a Safety Professional ! If there was monatary consequences for anyone that violates OSHA standards... life would be good.
S

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Garry L Mullins Jr on February 6, 2011 at 1:31pm

You are talking about chokers being misused. This is not a safety issue, this is a human resource issue. If companies were hiring qualified and certified riggers they would know better. It is not the crane operator's fault his job is to trust lift the load correctly and the rigger is there for a reason...to ensure it is done correctly. Therefore it is the rigger's job. However, how can you fine the rigger if was hired even though he was incompetent. The company should be fined extensively, so much so, that this type of stupidity does not happen again.

Moreover, this topic was not about major safety infractions like this. This topic was about earplugs and safety glasses. People will cut corners every chance they get. When they see a safety representative coming arond the corner 90% of them know what to do at that moment, and fix their PPE. For those that don't they get the threat of losing their job. What more do you want to add to this? Do you really think if the threat of losing their job doesn't work a $50 fine from OSHA will help? C'mon man be reasonable, don't be arrogant in your position.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kelley Winter on February 10, 2011 at 9:52am

I beilieve it is a good start. I would lobby the Alberta government to do the same. As for paying OSHA or in my case OHS officers to be on site, they are already. They cite companies for the same infractions: workers not wearing PPE, housekeeping not being completed, equipment not being used for the proper purpose or not being maintained. Maybe if the worker is getting fined as well they would actually buy into the fact that safety is everyone's responsibility, instead of blaming the company when they fall from heights because they weren't tied off! Safety is a culture, it's a way of life workers must be held accountable if they refuse to follow the policies and procedures set forth by their companies. They can lose their jobs but with most progressive dicipline policies or unions that could potentially takes months sometimes years. With a $50.00 fine it's directly related to their actions, and comes out of their pocket - hit em where it hurts!

• ▶ Reply