Safety Updates

Below are a few recent safety updates.

New Deputy Secretary of Labor: As you may already know, Scott Ketcham is OSHA’s new Deputy Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. He previously served as Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Construction. Mr. Ketcham is a Certified Safety Professional with a master’s degree in public administration. He served in the military for 24 years, retiring in 2012.

OSHA Penalty Increases: As of January 15, 2025, maximum penalty amounts were adjusted for inflation. State plans are required to at least adopt the maximum penalty amounts. Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act.

• Penalty for Serious Violations: $16,550.00/violation
• Failure to Abate: $16,550.00/per day beyond the abatement date
• Willful or Repeated Violation: $165,514.00/violation

Create a Safe and Sound Workplace: Cultivating a culture of safety and well-being is foundational to becoming a great place to work. Core Elements have been identified to ensure effective safety and health management. These Core Elements are include in OSHA’s VPP as well as ISO 45001. We have added a few more elements that fully embrace a safe and sound workplace for organizational and individual well-being. 

These elements include, for example:

• Leadership Involvement, Support, and Commitment, Including All Levels of Management
• People Centered Focus with Employee Participation in all Aspects 
• Hazard Identification, Prevention, and Control (Physical, Social, Psychological, & Emotional)
• Leadership Development with a Focus on Cultivating Leader Qualities
• Education and Training for Managers and Employees
• All Dimensions for Complete Well-Being
  • For Example:
    • Physical, 
    • Social, 
    • Psychological, 
    • Financial, 
    • Career Opportunities, 
    • Purpose & Meaning
    • Emotional Well-Being
• Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Developing these 7 Elements is not difficulty and the benefits from the journey itself more than compensate for the effort! The journey starts by partnering with key managers and consultants within your company. Just begin – we can all but guarantee the results will be transformational!

Feel free to contact us for advice or questions. We’re happy to listen to your ideas and brainstorm!