DOJ Stepping Up Its Prosecution of OSHA Cases

Big news out of the Department of Justice this week on how it plans to raise the profile of prosecuting ‪#‎OSHA‬ cases. This is going to catch a lot of employers by surprise.

Bottom line, Dept of Justice and Dept of Labor are teaming up to bring a whole new world of enforcement pain for those who aren't exactly up to speed on safety compliance. Something as simple as a robust safety audit would be a prudent first step - but not the only step - in reducing your risk of enforcement actions.

The key part of the letter:

"Prosecutors can make enforcement meaningful by charging other serious offenses that often occur in association with OSH Act violations - including false statements, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, conspiracy, and environmental and endangerment crimes. With penalties ranging from 5 to 20 years' incarceration, plus significant tines, these felony provisions provide additional important tools to deter and punish workp lace safety crimes." (Link to letter: https://lnkd.in/bpfQk4a)