The U.S. Department of Labor‘s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Citation and Notification was a dominant factor during the 1980s following the enactment of Ray Marshall’s labor policy regulations. Evidently though, the Carter administration strongly boosted the establishment of OSHA’s injury and illness recording and reporting procedures in a workplace (Federal Register, 2016). According to this policy requirement, it was a mandatory for employers with more than ten employees to record and report to the nearest labor office cases of serious injuries and illnesses emanating from a workplace.
Acme Widget Factory Case Study
It is in the spirit of U.S.’s labor laws and policies on OSHA’s best practices that, on August 8, 2015, Denver Commons Office Plaza sought to cite and notify Acme Widget Factory and its Successors, under inspection number 111111111, of an alleged violation of recording and reporting workplace injuries and illness, and lack of abatement thereof. The employees’ rights notwithstanding, equally important is employer’s right to either, within 15 working days of receipt of such notification, responds in defense against the claims, or remains silent for the penalty(ies) to automatically take effect. In this regard, the cited Acme Widget Factory its Successors sought to respond in at least the following five ways in accordance with the provisions of the U.S’s Department of labor OSHA policies and regulations.
First, on carrying out an in-depth analysis of OSHA’s Denver Commons Office citation and notification, the factory would through its relevant department confirm in writing the receipt of the allegations. By so doing a written confirmation letter of receipt, the factory will have taken appropriate step towards providing a defensive proof of abiding with “employers’ rights and responsibilities” as far as OSHA 300 booklet is concerned (Jim, M, 2016). After the official communication, and based on Acme Widget Factory’s assumption of innocence, it would only be prudent for the factory to write a contest letter to the ministry of labor, Denver Commons Office, rejecting any claims of violations of laws and policies outlining employees’ rights at workplace as alleged in the citations. As a matter of fact, still assuming innocence, the factory would be expected to post a copy of citation and notifications of penalty (ies) emanating from labor on the notice board, accessible to anyone with a pressing concern. If anything, for every uncontested citation contained in the notification will tantamount into the submission of a duly filled and signed written certification of abatement within ten calendar days of receipt of the notification. Alternatively, Acme Widget Factory and its Successors may decide to seek an informal conference with the ministry of labor in order to solve this issue without necessarily contesting or undergoing through a tedious and costly ligation process (Federal Register, 2016).
However, supposed the factory does not take a plea of being innocent, posting a copy of citation and notification letter on the notice board will only speed up the process of the affected employees’ acquiring justice. They will have seen for themselves steps being taken by the ministry of labor to help reduce abject violation of law, and hence they may even decide to go nearest labor office to object to any abatement certification that might have been submitted to Denver Commons Office, thereby simply worsening the situation for the factory. In such a case therefore, Acme Widget Factory and its Successors should admit the mistake, take corrective measures by installing appropriate structures and equipment in accordance with the outlined standards. In addition, the factory management needs to unreservedly apologize on behalf of all the affected employees, and from there henceforth make a routine of recording and reporting workplace serious injuries and illnesses as outlined in OSHA 300 booklet.
References
Federal Register (2016). Updating OSHA standards based on national consensus standards; Eye and face protection. Final rule. Department of Labor: Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA), 25; 81(58):16085-93.
Jim, M. (2016). OSHA standards: Why do they take so long?. ProQuest: professional safety, Des plaines, 61(5): 43-45.
