Dear Friend,
Did you know one of the most stressful aspects of having a business is dealing with the problems that arise from an OSHA* inspection?
(*OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and it is the agency in charge of issuing and enforcing rules regarding employee safety.)
Were you also aware that OSHA inspects businesses without any advance notice and that you could be selected randomly or targeted specifically because of a complaint against you?
Because most business owners don’t know this, they believe they will never be inspected or fined by this agency.
This Could Be a Big Mistake.
Many businesses believe OSHA has “bigger fish to fry” and therefore they are never ready in case of an inspection.
In case you didn’t know it, in the United States, in 2015 there were 79,291 OSHA inspections to businesses! Yes, that is 217 inspections per day that took place to unprepared businesses that were visited and fined!
Maybe this does not sound too bad to you. The problem is that the majority of these OSHA visits were triggered by complaints! This is where things get really scary because ANYONE can complain to OSHA!
If you can think of an unhappy employee, someone who continuously makes remarks as what needs to be changed in the workplace (a couple of employees came to mind eh?) or even anybody who is not satisfied with you, your services or you staff (client, former employee or customer) he/she may be the one that complains to OSHA.
These complaints bring about OSHA inspections, which translate into citations and penalties and a very stressful time for your business.
It is my position that you should be able to conduct your own internal inspections to identify and correct problems before they become big headaches and big fines! But as every business owner and office manager knows, this is no small task! And you don’t even know where to look!
Even if you haven’t had any employee injuries or illnesses or if you have not had any complaints of any kind in the past, it does not mean your business will not be inspected or targeted by OSHA.
When you are in the middle of an OSHA inspection, you become stressed and distracted from what you like doing most: running your business. This disrupts the growth of your business and ultimately affects your profits.
OSHA Inspections also make your employees wonder what you did wrong, and whether or not they are at risk while working for you.
Remember, nothing is more important than to keep your business running smoothly and profitably. Having to deal with an inspection and ending up with a list of citations and fines to be paid to OSHA is not just stressful but also time consuming.
Here’s where the problem begins…Most business owners and office managers believe they will never get inspected by OSHA or that OSHA rules do not apply to them!
Common questions include:
“Why would my business be next on the OSHA inspection list?”
“Do they really inspect small businesses?”
“How will I deal with the OSHA inspector”
“What if OSHA ends up citing me for not being in compliance?”
“Will I have to pay fines?”
“Are the fines costly?”
“Can an OSHA citation affect my business future?”
The last thing on their mind is:
Am I really prepared?
OSHA inspections are not only an inconvenience and a hassle, but can greatly affect your peace of mind and business profits.
Business owners who have gone through an OSHA inspection were not ready and never saw it coming.
Your business may be experiencing certain problems that could trigger an OSHA inspection. These can include: Ergonomic Injuries such as wrist, shoulder, neck and low back pain due to lack of safe work practices and techniques, low morale, constant rotation of staff, absenteeism, increased workers compensation insurance rates, etc.
Even organizations without any of these signs and symptoms are randomly selected and you could still be next on their list.
Now, if you have more than one business location and OSHA shows up at one of them, they will most likely inspect all of them!
As a matter of fact…
Most business owners, safety managers and even compliance officers are NOT trained in the detection of the hidden signs that lead to an OSHA inspection!
If you have already gone through an OSHA inspection, you probably already learned one of the most valuable lessons, which is having someone take charge of SAFETY at the workplace before an OSHA inspection takes place.
This person is committed to the continuous evaluation of your workplace, performing hazard assessment and hazard correction on a timely manner.
They will use every resource available to fix problems before they lead to a work injury, fatality or trigger an OSHA inspection.
This is where I can help. My name is Alba Vazquez, I am an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer on a Federal & State level.
I am the founder and owner of Compliance Solutions, LLC.
I have been helping businesses comply with OSHA regulations for almost a decade. I am fluent in Spanish and have also conducted training in Spanish for small and large businesses.
I will evaluate your business to find the gaps between what your organization is currently doing and what OSHA requires.
My job is to guide business owners and office managers to ensure their success at complying with these laws.
My primary responsibility is to develop a unique system for your Business to be OSHA compliant.
Unfortunately there are business owners that seek a band-aid solution to their totally out of date and out of compliance OSHA problems. If you are one of those people please do not call my office.
Thankfully, there are also businesses that genuinely care for the wellbeing of their employees and therefore are interested in being OSHA compliant but they don’t know where to begin.
Simply fill out the fields in the CONTACT US portion of my website and we will take care of the rest!
If I can’t help you I will tell you. It’s that simple.
I have trained literally hundreds of businesses just like yours.
Because hiring a consultant is sometimes viewed as an expensive choice, employers often choose to do it themselves and end up wasting valuable time they could be investing in growing their businesses.
I will help you to be compliant with OSHA and do it quickly and efficiently.
Because I am a specialist, I only focus on OSHA compliance. This allows me to prepare and update all the confusing documentation and safety plans required by this governmental agency and in turn, it prepares you in case OSHA comes knocking.
By hiring me, your business is protected and your safety plans are in place as required by law.
Common Questions Our Clients Ask…
Q: I am afraid that hiring an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer will trigger an OSHA inspection. Could that occur?
No. Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainers like myself are not mandated to report unsafe conditions to OSHA and therefore my work in your business will not trigger an inspection.
Q: Should I see an attorney before I talk to you?
A: If a work related accident, injury or illness occurred at your facility that resulted in the death of an employee, the answer is yes. If you have already been visited and cited by OSHA and the safety issues at hand involve citations for safety violations that OSHA considers to be “willful” then, the answer is also yes.
However, if the above doesn’t describe your situation (and for your sake I really hope not) give me a call. I will help you decide where you are at in regards to your OSHA compliance needs and if we are a good fit.
Q: How will I know if I am next on OSHA’s list?
A: You won’t! OSHA does not give advance notice in regards to an upcoming inspection. Although not every business gets immediately inspected by OSHA, they have a priority list to ensure that the worst situations get their attention first.
Here is how you know if you are next:
- Imminent Danger. When OSHA believes there is an unsafe situation at work that can cause death or serious physical harm.
- Catastrophes and/or fatalities. It only makes sense that death at the workplace would get second place in OSHA’s priority list since “imminent danger” is a situation that can still be prevented.
- Complaints and referrals. This is where most business and business offices get their turn. Do your employees feel as if they work at the circus risking their lives for you? Well guess what? They will talk to someone, and if is not you it will be… OSHA.
When an employee is unhappy about a work situation or condition that they feel is unsafe, they will find out that they can issue a complaint against you to OSHA. This is especially true if they feel you never listen to what they consider to be out of compliance.
Q. How do I prevent getting cited and paying the fines to OSHA?
A: By following a system. My system allows your office to stay in compliance year round. Through this comprehensive system, we will find the problem areas that give OSHA the right to fine you.
Becoming familiar with the laws that apply to you may be a daunting task if you try to do it yourself. Let me show you and your staff how to stop wasting time and be able to find out what OSHA is looking for and the safety plans and compliance areas you are not being compliant with.
Q. Does your service interrupt the flow of my business?
A: No. I will work without interrupting your workday. We can also schedule my services outside of your normal business hours. I will always work with you to achieve your compliance goals and keep your business running smoothly!
Q. What if I get inspected by OSHA while working with you?
A: If you get inspected while I am working with your business, I will be there for you to take you by the hand during and after the inspection. Going home penalty free is my goal for you!
Q: What if OSHA never inspects me and I have spent all that money to bring my office to compliance?
OSHA training is cheap in comparison to being fined!
Not investing in the proper training means that your entire office is not protected in case of an OSHA inspection. Blatantly disregarding laws may bring about issues of a “willful” OSHA violation, which brings up to a $124,709 fine!
Q: OSHA has sent me a letter but they have not showed up at my business office, could this happen and bring about fines and citations?
Yes, OSHA can send out a letter to employers who have been reported to be in violation of safety laws. Remember OSHA is focused on the worker’s safety and therefore many times it is an actual employee that will complain to OSHA and ask for them to investigate. OSHA decides the method of investigation and it certainly can be by way of a letter. You must issue a timely response. This letter could however trigger an inspection in person where a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) comes to your business office by surprise.
Q: I have been inspected already and I have paid the fines, do I really need to talk to you and hire you to do my OSHA training?
A: Yes. That is if you plan to stay out of OSHA’s radar. Compliance with safety laws is a never-ending job.
What is even more important is that once you have been inspected, your chances of a repeat surprise inspection are higher!
Q: What if I am already doing OSHA compliance myself and doing training for my employees in-house. How do I know if I am doing it right?
Employee training also has to be compliant with OSHA rules and that is something that you may be overlooking. As you understand more and find out what applies to your practice, you will also realize that you need to ensure that such training takes place according to these rules and you need to make sure you don’t miss anything. This is why hiring the right OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer is the way to go!
Still Skeptical? Just listen to what these people just like you had to say...
"Excellent, met all expectations. My organization will benefit from today’s training in making the changes to bring our company’s OSHA records up to date."
GARY M. ~ Office Manager
"This training met my expectations. Alba did an excellent job. This training will help my company meet OSHA requirements. Thanks."
MYRON W. ~ CHIEF ENGINEER
HERMOSA BEACH, CA
"Content was Excellent. Instructor’s materials made the information and examples come to life. Excellent presentation and student involvement. Thank you!"
JOHN J. ~ GENERAL MANAGER
"She spent a lot time helping us research additional OSHA information which helped us greatly. She answered all of our questions and had a great rapport."
DON R. – Office Manager
"I was very pleased with the training and Alba."
STEVE S. ~ LAB ASSISTANT/SAFETY
IRVINE, CA.
“Alba was awesome and passionate about OSHA.
Pam S. – Palm Springs, CA
“Alba is a great speaker!”
Belin O. – Ontario,CA
“Alba did a great job capturing my interest. She is very knowledgeable.”
Morgan N. – Oxnard,CA
“Alba made this seminar fun, entertaining and informative. Her people skills are excellent!
Jason A. – San Luis Obispo,CA
“ Alba is a great speaker and easy to listen to.”
Alma T. – Ventura, CA
In this day and age of specialization, you need to always work with the right professionals who are trained and experienced, and who specialize in the area you need help in. Being “familiar” or “acquainted with” OSHA isn’t even close to being enough.
You need to get advice and help from people who have made OSHA their life’s work!
You wouldn’t want to have your child delivered by a doctor who assists with deliveries every now and then, would you? You wouldn’t want your car serviced by someone who “tinkers” with cars once or twice a month would you?
So why would you have your OSHA training done by a person who has little, if any, working knowledge of EXACTLY what issues put you at risk for an OSHA inspection, citations and costly penalties?
It doesn’t make sense. Now you know who does have the answers. You’re almost there. So don’t stop now!
If you are interested in checking this out further, you may be wondering what is the best way to get the information you need to be able to make an educated decision on what to do.
Well, I have a FREE and non-threatening way to do this that you’re going to like!
A FREE OSHA Needs Assessment!
Simply ask us to mail you the FREE OSHA Needs Assessment Form...It's that simple.
All you have to do is call my office at 1-800-311-6073 and speak to my assistant. She will take a message and we will mail you the above mentioned form!
Yours in safety,
Alba M. Vazquez, BA, MCS-P
OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer
UCLA Faculty Southern California Education & research Center
Certified Medical Compliance Specialist
Founder – Compliance Solutions LLC
P.S. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call Now!