The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA):
- Performs scheduled inspections
- Responds to serious incidents or injuries
- Makes targeted health and safety inspections
OSHA must inspect a place of employment whenever an employee makes a complaint about safety issues. Lawn care operations (which golf courses fall under) have been, and will continue to be, a targeted category of business.
If an inspector arrives to do an on-site inspection, they will look for:
- Completed and up-to-date OSHA 300 Logs (Download OSHA 300 Log now)
- Written OSHA programs, such as:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Hearing Conservation
As OSHA conducts the inspection, they will build a case for making a Citation. Inspections of equipment, maintenance shops, and work areas will be an additional focus. The fine schedule associated with certain violation types is listed below:
- "Other-than-Serious" can result in fines of $0 to $1,000.
- "Serious" can result in fines of $1,500 to $7,000.
- "Willful" can result in fines of $5,000 to $70,000.
- "Repeated" can result in fines up to $70,000.
- "Failure to Abate" can result in fines of $7,000 per day.
Typically, out-of-date or missing employee records, absence of a training program, and/or incomplete or nonexistent OSHA programs will be classified as Serious Violations.
A facility without up-to-date OSHA logs, 2-3 programs missing, and training records not kept could be facing $12,000–$25,000 in fines.
Fine amounts can be negotiated downward once an attorney is obtained. However, the costs associated with an OSHA citation are not just the fines.
Visit the OSHA website for more information about maintaining OSHA 300 Logs. The Department of Labor (DOL) website is a helpful resource for information about employment standards in your area.
