OSHA Slaps Cell Tower Firm With 'Willful' Citations, Adds To 'Severe Violator' List

Ed Foulke was quoted in the Inside OSHA Online article “OSHA Slaps Cell Tower Firm With 'Willful' Citations, Adds To 'Severe Violator' List” on September 30, 2014.

Ed was quoted on his concerns about the Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP), in particular the listing during contest of the relevant citations.

Ed recently told Inside OSHA Online that there is a "serious legal issue on that."

By issuing press releases about SVEP inclusion agency officials are using "enforcement by shame," according to Ed. "That's this administration's philosophy as part of their focus on how they can best reduce (injuries and illnesses). I believe that the government should be there to help people and businesses to be successful" through compliance assistance and alliances, he said.

In transitioning from EEP to SVEP "they changed the name and they clearly put a lot more focus on this" and the program has "grown fairly steadily," Ed said, adding that the program will likely change in its enforcement philosophy over time. "Every administration has a different emphasis on enforcement programs. Clearly the emphasis [under Bush] was on trying to work with employers. We were much more focused on the Voluntary Protection Program, more focused on alliances and partners."

"The program could be changed some. I think there will always be a program [for employers] perceived to be bad actors," he said. "There will be that program, it may have a different name, different metrics."