OSHA Unveils Severe Violator Program For Employers That ‘Endanger Workers’

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration April 22 unveiled its Severe Violator Enforcement Program directive, which it said is aimed at focusing additional enforcement on “recalcitrant employers who endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities under the law.”

The program will take effect within 45 days of its announcement, OSHA said.

“For many employers, investing in job safety happens only when they have adequate incentives to comply with OSHA’s requirements,” OSHA Administrator David Michaels said in an April 22 statement. “Higher penalties and more aggressive, targeted enforcement will provide a greater deterrent and further encourage these employers to ...