The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was added to the Department of Labor in order to make sure that U.S. working conditions are as safe as possible. Through training programs, inspections, regulations, and penalties, OSHA can make sure that all of America’s working men and women aren’t put at unnecessary risk when they clock in to work.
For many small businesses, though, complying with all of OSHA’s rules can be time-consuming and expensive. After all, there are more than 2,000 OSHA inspectors out there who get paid to make surprise inspections!
In an effort to prevent OSHA compliance from turning small businesses upside down, small business owners can take advantage of several exemptions, including:
1. Injury and illness records
Unless you hear otherwise from OSHA, if you had fewer than 10 employees during the last calendar year, you are not required to keep records of injuries and illnesses that occur at your job site. However, you will still be required to report any fatal incidents or any incidents that send three or more of your employees to the hospital.
2. Low hazard inspections
If your business is considered to be “low hazard” — like if you own a clothing store or a restaurant — and you have fewer than 10 employees, you will not have to deal with OSHA’s inspections. In order to make sure that you have a “low hazard” business, talk to your attorney.
3. Complete OSHA exemption
That’s right — some businesses aren’t required to follow any of OSHA’s guidelines!
Examples of those businesses include self-employed professionals, farms where only immediate family members work, people who are employed by someone in their own home to do domestic-related tasks (like child care and house cleaning), and businesses that are regulated by different federal standards (like nuclear energy companies).
While these are some of the biggest exemptions that OSHA has created to take pressure off of small businesses, they aren’t the only exemptions that exist, so check with your attorney to see what else you may qualify for. And, of course, your business’ own specific circumstances can determine if you qualify for any type of OSHA exemption to begin with.
Even if you don’t have to deal with OSHA very much (or at all!) during your normal work day, it’s still important to have safety rules and procedures in place. After all, it doesn’t take much for even the simplest of mistakes to turn dangerous!