OSHA Inspections: Know Your Rights, Responsibilities (Conclusion)
In the American Laundry News article “OSHA Inspections: Know Your Rights, Responsibilities (Conclusion),” Ed Foulke, a partner in the Atlanta office advised employers on how to effectively handle an OSHA inspection.
He advises that throughout the inspection, employers and managers treat the OSHA compliance officer in a professional manner, maintain control and also be “cooperative and responsive.”
This is of importance particularly during the inspection’s “opening conference,” which he explains should be done in the privacy and safety of a conference room.
It is during this time, he says, that employers can really “set the parameters” and “ascertain [the] purpose of the inspection.”
“You need to find out why [they’re there],” says Foulke. “If it’s a complaint inspection, then you need to [request] a copy of the complaint … you’re entitled to that. Secondly, you need to have that in order to be able to determine [the] scope of the inspection, because you want to limit that inspection to that area.”