OSHA Safety and Compliance

I would contend that most funeral directors are unconsciously unaware of OSHA requirements. In the safety business, it is sometimes referred to as the Helen Keller syndrome. It suggests that employers and managers have no desire to know what works, see how anything works, or even discuss it.

Typical here is the manager who only wants to know enough about safety and accident prevention to be able to get by an OSHA inspection. God forbid that he actually learn how to implement safe operating procedures that would prevent accidents and make the workplace safer for everyone.

Most OSHA standards are performance oriented. This is a method that allows OSHA to speak in broad generalities when drawing up requirements for employers (ie: funeral homes). The employer has the duty to develop a program that adheres to those guidelines and the freedom to ensure that it fits their specific workplace.

Every year, OSHA releases new interpretations that remind consultants just how much authority and freedom the employer has in operating a safety program. These are summaries of questions that were sent to OSHA by employers, followed by the official OSHA response.

Three employers are inspected by OSHA and are all written up for the same citation. The first receives a $200 fine. The second is fined $1200. The third establishment is assessed a $4000 fine. While it may look like each of these inspections was handled in a different manner, be assured this is not the case. Instead, they are the product of a system that gives nuance to some businesses and, by design, punishes others.

The adjustment process is determined by four factors:

The gravity of the violation,

The size of the business,