The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were established in 1970 to assure employers provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees.
OSHA violations can result in company fines, disruption of work, and unnecessary opportunity costs. For a deeper understanding of OSHA regulations, visit their website.
When we walk through our customers distribution and manufacturing facilities, we keep an eye out for any rack damage that could be perceived as a “willful violation” in the eyes of OSHA for storing materials in damaged racks. A “willful violation is issued by OSHA when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health”.
Some of the things that we look for, and you should be aware of, include:
- Stored materials must not create a hazard.
- Storage areas must be kept free from accumulated materials that may cause tripping, fires, or explosions, or that may contribute to the harboring of rats and other pests.
- How accessible the materials are to the user.
- Condition of the containers where the materials are being stored.
- When stacking materials, height limitations should be observed.
- Damage to racking structure caused by forklift operators.
When we come across these instances we make recommendations for safety, including repairing or replacing the damaged rack sections.
