Understanding the OSHA Process for Workplace Safety Inspections

Written by Staff Writer | Edited by Michael Purser

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is charged with ensuring that workers throughout the United States have a safe and healthy workplace. To that end, OSHA creates and enforces safety regulations aimed at preventing accidents at work.

The agency conducts inspections to check for OSHA compliance. If an inspection uncovers a violation, an employer could face hefty fines and penalties.

OSHA Education Center provides comprehensive safety and compliance education to help ensure successful and violation-free OSHA inspections.

What Are the Six Inspection Steps?

Each year, OSHA conducts approximately 35,000 inspections throughout the United States to ensure that employers maintain a safe and healthy work environment. These inspections identify potential hazards, verify compliance with OSHA standards and protect employees from unsafe conditions.

While the specific details of the inspection process may vary based on the nature of the workplace and the type of investigation being conducted, each one generally follows a structured series of steps.

1. Preparation

The OSHA compliance officer reviews the worksite inspection history and previous citations and gathers necessary equipment to conduct the inspection.

2. Presentation of Credentials

The officer presents inspector credentials in the form of a photograph and serial number, verifying the officer’s authority to conduct the inspection.

3. Opening Conference

In the opening conference, the reason for and scope of the inspection are explained. The employer designates a representative to accompany the compliance officer. Employees are also entitled to have a representative present during the inspection.

4. The Inspection Walkaround

The officer, along with workplace representatives, conducts a physical inspection to check for hazards and violations.

5. Employee Interviews and Document Review

There may be employee interviews. Safety records, training materials and injury/illness records may also be reviewed by the compliance officer.

6. Closing Conference

The inspector discusses findings with the employer and representative(s) during the closing conference. If violations are discovered, they are discussed along with corrective actions that need to be taken. If citations are issued, the employer is informed about the procedures for contesting or resolving them and about potential penalties.

Types of OSHA Inspections and What to Expect

Because OSHA may conduct a workplace visit for a variety of reasons, the OSHA steps and outcomes of the process can vary. The urgency of the walkthrough depends on the perceived risks associated with the initial report.

• Imminent Danger: This includes credible reports of hazards that could cause death or serious harm. The agency requires immediate action on the employer’s part to prevent harm. OSHA may remove employees if the compliance officer believes they are in immediate danger.
• Severe Injuries and Illnesses: An inspection prompted by an employer’s mandatory reporting of an employee death or dismemberment, or the hospitalization of three or more employees. If violations caused or contributed to the deaths or injuries, immediate action to remedy the hazard may be required. Fines and penalties will likely be issued.
• Worker Complaints: These occur when a worker reports a hazard or violation. Complaints may be filed anonymously and are evaluated by the administration to determine if an inspection is warranted.
• Referrals: Walkthroughs may follow a referral from a cooperating agency, independent watchdog organization or even by the media. Like worker complaints, OSHA evaluates referrals to decide if an inspection is necessary.
• Targeted Inspections: Highly hazardous industries and individual workplaces with high rates of injuries are routinely inspected. While these visits may not always be scheduled well in advance, an employer is usually notified in some way that the site is subject to targeted inspections.
• Follow-Ups: Following one of the above incidents, a subsequent evaluation may check for abatement of cited violations. If corrective action has not been taken, additional fines and penalties may be imposed.

Occupational Health Standards and Safety Equipment Requirements

The Occupational Safety and Health Act gives OSHA the authority to establish occupational health standards and safety equipment requirements. These are designed to protect employees from workplace hazards, including toxic substances, noise, heat, radiation and biological hazards that could cause injury, illness or even death.

Employers are required to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks in the work environment. While most hazards can be abated, some environments remain inherently dangerous. For hazards that cannot be eliminated entirely, OSHA also requires management to provide appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or other hazard controls.

PPE may protect workers from injury and illness associated with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical and other workplace hazards. Employers must identify the need for PPE, supply the correct equipment and ensure that workers are properly trained to use the provided tools to prevent accidents.

Prepare by Creating an Inspection Checklist

Although some visits are planned well in advance, an OSHA inspection can occur at any time. To avoid costly violations, everyone should always be prepared for an evaluation. Creating an inspection checklist helps guide safety efforts.

The administration publishes several resources that can be used to help create an inspection checklist, including a sample checklist found in the Small Business Safety and Health Handbook.

Your checklist should include an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Planning for the possibility of an emergency is the best way to prevent serious injuries or death when a workplace accident does occur. Running regular drills based on the EAP ensures that workers understand and are ready to enact it when the need arises. Following each drill, evaluate how well the plan was implemented and adjust the plan if necessary.

The best way to prevent accidents and ensure a clean inspection report is to make sure that all workers have received appropriate training for their jobs, including workplace safety regulations and the proper use of PPE.

How Can Safety Programs Help?

Safety training programs are essential tools for maintaining compliance with federal standards and creating a safe, hazard-free worksite. OSHA’s mission is to ensure that every worker in the United States has access to a safe and healthful work environment.

Employers bear the legal and ethical responsibility to implement the necessary safety measures, and one of the most effective ways to meet that responsibility is through comprehensive safety training. Proper training can also help promote a strong safety culture in the workplace and within your organization.

Quality education equips employees with the knowledge to identify, assess and mitigate potential hazards in their work environment. When employees understand how to recognize unsafe conditions and respond appropriately, the likelihood of accidents, injuries and illnesses is dramatically reduced.

This proactive approach also decreases the risk of citable violations during OSHA inspections and demonstrates an employer’s commitment to good-faith compliance if potential issues are uncovered.

Online Training Options

An OSHA-authorized 10-hour or 30-hour Outreach Training course provides a broad overview of major hazards. Our extensive catalog also includes online courses covering more than 150 specific training standards for individual hazards, all aligned with OSHA training requirements.

A 10-hour training course teaches basic safety and health information to entry-level workers in construction or general industry roles. Completing an OSHA-authorized Outreach Training course provides an official U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) OSHA 10 card. Many states, localities and employers require this training prior to beginning work.

For supervisors and workers with expanded safety roles, the 30-hour training course, also offered for both construction and general industry, provides a more in-depth education in general worksite safety, avoiding common hazards, understanding workers' rights and employer responsibilities under OSHA safety regulations.

Both employers and workers can benefit by learning to recognize and avoid the most common violations identified by OSHA inspectors. It also helps minimize the risk of workplace accidents as well as costly OSHA fines and penalties.

All our programs can be completed 100% online from any internet-connected device. As you learn at your own pace, we save your progress automatically, allowing you to start and stop your studies whenever it’s most convenient for you.

You can start preparing today to strengthen workplace safety. Our flexible online programs make it easy to protect your company and your workers, reduce the risk of frequent inspections and minimize costly OSHA citations. With our bulk training discounts, we make it simple and cost-effective to prepare your entire workforce with just a few clicks.