These three are usually found in the “OSHA Top 10” every year which supports the conclusion that many employers have difficulty complying with these standards due to a lack of resources and manpower. OSHA performs approximately 33,000 OSHA inspections a year, only covering less than 1% of the 5 million United States companies that have hazardous substances. One may say the chance of receiving a violation is low; however, the cost of the citations can range from $16,131 to $161,323 depending on the type of violation (Serious, Failure to Abate, Willful or Repeated). In addition, there is an increased chance of lawsuits which can range into millions of dollars depending on the nature of the lawsuit. However, the most important reason is to be able to provide a workplace free of known hazards. As discussed in Occupational Health by the Numbers, there are still many deaths occurring every year due work-related injuries and illnesses, with the numbers being about 5,300 and 55,200, respectively. The US workplaces are still not as safe as they should be because companies do not have enough resources and manpower.
Most companies only focus on Safety; however, it is equally significant that something be in place for Occupational Health. MyTERA™ is an interactive application that guides users in conducting their own Task Exposure Risk Assessment (TERA) of occupational health hazards and helps users identify the controls necessary to help reduce their chance of harm. It provides a tool and a resource to help those companies that cannot hire someone full-time. There are also other Safety and Environmental features built into MyTERA™ to help with those regulations as well.
