Actions Taken after Reviewing the Citation and Notification of Penalty Letter
Actions that are taken after reviewing the Citation and Notification of Penalty letter
When you receive a citation and notification of penalty letter, reviewing the citations is one of the crucial steps that one can take. Reviewing the penalty letter is very vital because there are several factors to consider before OSHA releases the citation and notification of penalty to any organization. After reviewing the proposals, the employer needs to take action to correct the issues proposed by the compliance officer.
The first action is evaluating the extent and the location of the hazard source (US Department of Labor, 2015). Evaluation is very crucial because, to control the threat, you must identify the cause. For instance, to identify the source, the employer needs to identify the source of lead beyond the permissible limits. Once the source for these metal fumes has been identified, it will be easier to control or mitigate them. The significant actions that can be taken in this case include modifying the existing ventilation system to improve capture velocity at the ventilation hoods. Besides, the ventilation hoods can be adjusted to collect metal fumes; thus, mitigate the threat.
The second action that can be taken is to evaluate the control measure options (US Department of Labor, 2015). It is important because the control measures to be used depends on the financial capability of the firm. For instance, large firms have access to a wide range of resources to mitigate any threat or risks than small firms (Leonard, 2018). For example, reducing the level of employees’ exposure to lead fumes requires the provision of effective respirators. This option may seem possible to some firms than others because of the size and the net worth of that particular business. Thus evaluating the control measure options is crucial for a business; it is cost-effective.
Training the employees in maintaining and proper operation of the newly-implemented control measures is also another critical action (US Department of Labor, 2015). In response to citation 1 Item 5, the employees need to be trained on how to use the respirators and their importance, especially those working in frame area assembly. Training is essential because citation 1 Item 4b states that two employees were not able to seal their faces entirely because they had beards that prevented the 3M respirators (US Department of Labor, 2015) from fitting appropriately. Therefore, training is vital because it will enable employees.
Moreover, the employer may decide to offer every employee a copy of print compliance regulations and ensure that they read them. Providing them with these copies will enable them to reduce or avoid violating the necessary rules of using gloves appropriately when handling chemicals or other lethal materials within the facility. Labeling is essential to reduce or avoid penalties that may be imposed on the firm as a result of workers’ mistakes (Leonard, 2018). Therefore, in case an issue arises, the firm may not be held responsible. Besides, the employees may be required to sign that they have read the compliance regulations print and confirm that they are willing to comply with the policies. Issuing the copies will reduce or mitigate the fines and penalties imposed on the employer.
Finally, the installation of control measures (US Department of Labor, 2015) is also another critical action that can be taken to decrease the issues presented by the document. For instance, it is crucial to label each container with harmful chemicals or materials to reduce the accidents or injuries that may occur in the facility (Leonard, 2018). If unlabeled containers cause an injury, the employer is penalized. Therefore, labeling the containers is one of the control measures for some of the issues mentioned in the letter.
References
Leonard, R. L. (2018). Compliance. In Air Quality Permitting (pp. 161-168). Routledge.
US Department of Labor. (2015). Citation and notification of penalty. Denver Company.